


Royal Flush

by FainTheSentientBeing



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/F, Fortune Teller Nozomi, Maid Nico, Noble Maki, Not EXACTLY medieval, Princess Eli, Royal Guard Umi, Seamstress Kotori
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-26 12:21:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9896234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FainTheSentientBeing/pseuds/FainTheSentientBeing
Summary: Eli is a princess torn between obligation to her kingdom and a desire to live a normal life. Nozomi is a travelling fortune teller with no direction for her future. In a chance encounter the two meet. But what effect will it have on them, the kingdom, their friends and the world at large?





	1. Chapter 1

Wind whipped in through the open castle window, striking Eli with a sudden hit of cold. She didn’t flinch, she was far too used to it for that. Despite its continual lashings, Eli continued with her preparations. A cloth bandanna that was dyed cyan, a simple hair tie and commoner clothes lay on her bed. With these Eli began to make her transformation, from royalty to an inconspicuous citizen. She tied her hair up in a ponytail, wore the bandanna over her mouth and nose and changed into the commoner’s clothes, her royal heritage was all but erased. Climbing onto her windowsill, she prepared for the jump that would free her from the shackles of her birthright, the mere movement that would take her from castle-bound royal to just another person. Hesitation wasn’t uncommon in this moment, but it was different this time. She glanced back at the dress that rested upon her bed. “How long can I keep doing this?” she wondered, she never wanted to stop but the possibility was ever-looming. Someday she had to start taking her position more seriously, someday she would have to accept the political power she had. It wasn’t that she was unprepared for it, she just hated the freedom it took away. 

She was at an impasse with herself. On the one hand, she loved her kingdom and wanted the best for her people. On the other, she wanted her own life too, to be able to live normally, venture outside without constant monitoring and to be treated like a regular person. Unfortunately, a compromise did not seem possible. It was one or the other and she knew she’d never be able to bring herself to choose. Sighing, she looked away from the dress, shutting away her royalty and castle-bound existence to venture forth into a regular civilian life.

Tension built up in her feet as she prepared to leap, the tree wasn’t far from the windowsill. The ground was, however. Missing this jump could be the difference between life and death (Or at least a shattered ankle.) yet Eli could approach it without fear, she took a few seconds of mental preparation and suddenly kicked off. For a brief moment, she soared. Until she was met by the firm bark of a branch, she grasped it confidently and firmly, pulling herself atop the sturdy wood. Once she was atop the branch the rest was easy, she slowly climbed her way down the tree until her feet met the soft grass below. 

It wasn’t far to the town, the castle could still be seen from it. It loomed over like a headstone. Once she arrived in town, she was greeted by the usual chaos. Screaming children playing in the streets, bread and meat being sold on stalls, people enraptured in conversations with one another, totally oblivious to the outside world. She found some form of beauty in it, the normality of it all. She made her way down the stone path, she did everything she usually did; she bought some bread, looked around at the florist and spoke with some local women. They always seemed to approach her first for whatever reason, she found it odd but it never really bothered her. 

On her way down the path, she stopped for whatever reason at a small shop. Trinkets adorned it’s window, metals and gems combined to make heart shaped rings, necklaces and etc. To her they were nothing, if she were to compare them with her own jewelry they’d be as dull as dirt. But still they captivated her somehow. “They were for Valentine's day.” a voice suddenly chimed from behind Eli, she jumped in shock. She turned to face the woman. “Heh, sorry to scare you. You just seemed interested.” the woman said.

“Oh, it’s fine.” Eli replied, muffled by her mask. “I’m not buying, just looking.” she took her leave, feeling slightly guilty for not buying anything. Ultimately she didn’t see any reason to. It was Valentines jewelry and the day had already passed, not that she had anyone she could give it to anyway. 

Continuing down the stone path, something else caught Eli’s eye. Something entirely new. It was a purple tent erected in a previously empty patch of land, it was adorned with starry patterns and golden trimming. It looked entirely out of place in the grey-brown town it had made it’s home. Eli was intrigued by it, she figured it was some form of fortune telling tent. She was never one for superstitions, but for whatever reason she felt drawn to the tent. It emanated a magical, magnetic air that she couldn’t help but be taken in by.

Darkness enveloped her as she entered, the silky material of the tent’s opening closing her off from the outside world. Two lit candles on the table before her were the only source of light. The table was adorned with a white cloth, a set of cards with blue backgrounds sat in the centre ominously. Eli’s gaze continued from the cards, looking up and up until she was met with another woman. “Hello.” she said casually, entirely breaking the atmosphere the room had been establishing up that point. Just as the tent did, she captivated Eli as well. She examined every aspect of her, her striking green eyes that reminded her of an emerald ring she had seen at the trinket shop earlier, her distinctive purple hair, her skin that seemed silken and soft. She admired it all, she would have admired further but she was sure the woman would have noticed her gawking at her chest. Eli was torn from her trance by her suddenly continuing to speak “Y’know, when someone says hello you should probably greet them back.” she smiled at her, patiently awaiting her greeting.

“O-oh. Hello.” Eli said, cheeks flushing in a mix of embarrassment and attraction. 

“So, do you want your fortune told?” the purple haired woman asked, leaning her head on her hand “After all, it’s what we do best at Nozomi’s travelling tarot tent.” she smiled wider “Then again, we don’t do anything else!” 

Eli giggled a little, she felt at ease immediately. “Yes, please. How much?” she enjoyed how casually Nozomi was addressing her, it was a refreshing change.

“Hmm. Usually it’s ten. But I’ll let you pay eight.” Nozomi said, stretching in her chair and awaiting her payment. Eli quickly handed it over to her, smiling as she did. Taking the money, Nozomi began fiddling with her cards. “So, what’s your name?”

“Huh? Why do you need to know that?” she asked, suddenly defensive. She didn’t want to give away her identity, despite how comfortable the atmosphere was. 

“I need to know your name and face to read your fortune. Did you not know that? So that bandanna's gotta come off.” she responded, immediately reaching over to pull the bandanna down. Eli didn’t do anything to stop her, just letting her remove it. 

She attempted to rationalise just why she let her do that “Well she’s a traveler, so it doesn’t matter. No one here knows her so they won’t believe her if she tells them.” she thought. Saying her name was surprisingly easy, she had expected herself to hesitate and mutter and yet she didn’t.

“Eli? Pretty name for a pretty girl.” she casually complemented Eli, waiting to see her blush before returning to her cards. She lay them out in an unusual pattern, Eli had seen tarot readings before. They had never been like this. She opened her mouth to question, only for Nozomi to answer as if she had read her mind. “It’s my own spread, best one for predicting the future. First card tells us a basic concept for your future, second tells us how it’ll come about, third clarifies the second and the fourth shows how it’ll change your life. Simple, right?” Eli nodded, utterly enraptured by the cards. 

Death. The very first card was death. Eli recoiled in fear at the sight of the card, only to be met with laughter from Nozomi. “Relax. Okay, so see how it’s upright? That means change and new beginnings. Not actual death.” Eli let out a sigh of relief. “Who knows though. Actual death is certainly a change, isn’t it?” she teased, beaming as Eli’s expression briefly grew fearful, before changing to a look of mild annoyance, and finally to a small smile. 

Nozomi was glad she found her joke funny, a lot of people didn’t tend to appreciate her sense of humour, it made her happy knowing there was someone who did. She turned over the next card. The Lovers, she looked at Eli and raised an eyebrow tauntingly. “The lovers. I’m sure you can guess that one.” she only blushed and nodded in response. “So, seems like you’ll find a lover and they’ll change your life. Lucky you.” Nozomi couldn’t take her eyes off of Eli at that point, she had barely spoken to her but she couldn’t help but feel jealous at the concept of someone having her. “I’m guessing you don’t have a partner then, Eli?” she asked, fiddling with the corner of a card.

“No, I don’t. My parents aren’t all too interested in me having one. Neither am I honestly, I’ve never found anyone I’ve liked that much.” she shrugged her shoulders, glancing back down at the cards and trying not to stare at Nozomi too much.

“Well, judging by the cards that’s gonna change, ain’t it?” she asked, tapping her finger on the next card, anxious to turn it over.

“We’ll see.” Eli responded formally, cautiously watching the card Nozomi was tapping. 

“Yeah. We’ll see...” Nozomi mused, turning the third card. “The Empress. That represents femininity and beauty. Other stuff too but I don’t think they matter here. Guess that means your destined lover is gonna be a pretty girl, huh? Lucky.” 

“I’m not quite sure I understand.” Eli muttered in disbelief, looking over the cards again. “Can you go over that card again?” 

“Okay. Well, The Empress card is all about beauty and femininity. A good example is me.” she giggled, obviously kidding. Despite it being a joke Eli agreed in earnest. “And the third card clarifies the second, which was the lovers. This means that you’re gonna have a lover who’s a girl. Understand?” Eli blushed at the concept and nodded in understanding. “Right, onto the fourth card…” 

Both of them tensed up as Nozomi turned the card, as soon as she turned it she looked at Eli, awaiting any interesting reaction. “The devil? And why is it upside down?” Eli asked, shock and slight terror evident in her voice.

Snickering, Nozomi explained “If it’s upside down it has a reverse meaning. When the devil is right side up it’s got stuff to do with being trapped, so when it’s upside down it represents breaking free.” she smiled at Eli. “So just like with death, it’s nothing to worry about.” 

“I’m still confused, what do all of them mean together?” Eli asked, staring at the cards and trying to make sense of them all. Nozomi laughed, amused by the confusion of her untrained eye. 

“Well, first there was Death. Meaning that in your future there’s gonna be some change. Then there was The Lovers, meaning that change is gonna happen through you falling in love with someone, then The Empress which tells us that you’ll fall in love with a beautiful girl. Then finally there’s the upside down Devil, which explains that because of that girl your life will change with you becoming freer. That make sense?”

Eli pondered all of it, none of it seemed possible to her. Her life was at a standstill, she couldn’t believe that it would just suddenly change in the way Nozomi predicted. She couldn’t begin to imagine who the lover could be, she rarely got the chance to meet anyone new and she definitely wasn’t attracted to any of them. In fact the only person who she had found attractive in recent memory was Nozomi, and she was a commoner and a traveler. There was no way it could be here.The concept of breaking free the final card proposed was preposterous to her too, she was the eldest daughter, what choice did she have?

She didn’t move from her seat, she didn’t want to leave. Not yet at least. “So, you said you’re a traveler?” she asked, watching as the other woman carefully put her cards away.

“Yep. Have been since I was young, always going from place to place.” she smiled “It gets lonely, but I enjoy it.” she stopped with her cards, focusing all her attention on Eli. “It’s rare I get people as interesting as you though, Eli.” she paused for a moment, before flashing a mischievous smile at her “Or as pretty!” 

She smiled back, face reddened slightly. “Thank you. But I don’t think I’m that interesting.” 

“But you are! You’ve got that exotic hair and those icy blue eyes, I’ve never seen those before. They almost make you look like one of the royal family.” she smiled unknowingly. Eli was half tempted to tell her right then and there, but she knew it would obviously be a bad idea. 

“How long are you going to be here for?” Eli asked, hoping it would be a while.

“Not sure, business is pretty good here. So I’ll probably set up for a while.” she said, smiling. “Why? Are you hoping to see me again?” she teased, she knew she had hit the nail on the head by the look on Eli’s face. “Well, tell you what. I’d like that too.”

“Well, uh. Good. So you’d like to see me again? As in. Fortune telling for me?” she asked.

“Hm. Maybe. I also need someone to show me around town, I’m pretty lost here on my own…” she commented, looking absentmindedly upward. She knew Eli would volunteer to do it, she had been hoping for it ever since she had walked in.

“I can do that, don’t worry. I know all the good places.” she said, excitement welling up at the prospect of seeing her again. 

“Perfect!” Nozomi replied, “How about tomorrow then?”

“Harasho!” Eli exclaimed, she had gotten so excited that she slipped into her native language. “Sorry, I mean. Good.” Nozomi looked at her with a mixture of confusion and enjoyment.

“What was that? It was so cute.” Nozomi leaned over the table and smiled at Eli. “I didn’t think you could be that cute, Eli. You seemed too dignified.” 

“N-nozomi-San, please. I just got excited.” she tried playing it off as if nothing happened. She couldn’t explain what she had said, it’d make her identity far, far too obvious. Everyone knew the royal family were originally foreigners, Nozomi would figure it out for sure. “A-anyway, can you explain some more cards to me?”

Her eyes lit up slightly at the concept. “Sure! Which ones do you wanna know about?” she asked, flipping through her deck.

“All of them, I have plenty of time.” Eli responded.

By the time they had finished, the day was coming to a close. The insides of the tent seemed to dim even further as the sunlight died away. “Oh uh, Nozomi-San. I should probably go now.” 

A slight frown flickered onto her face before she responded “Okay Eli. Seeya tomorrow.” she gave Eli one last smile, returning to her cards once she had left. 

It was already far too late for her to be out, she would have to sprint to make it back to the castle before anyone realised. Yet, she didn’t sprint. She ran, and stopped. Once again she found herself at the trinket shop, one heart shaped ring distinctly stuck out to her. A familiar green gem embedded in it. Without hesitation she entered and bought it, not wearing it but keeping it in the small bag provided. Only afterwards did she sprint home, thankfully no one realised she had left. Placing the ring on her bedside table, she smiled. Taking in the green of it’s gem and thinking of Nozomi. For the rest of the night each and every thought was about tomorrow. About her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really happy with this, I enjoy writing for the setting and had a lot of fun looking into tarot cards and thinking of how Nozomi could make the prediction I wanted her to. Granted my understanding is extremely limited I think I did well with that. This is going to be another long story so I hope you all stick with it. IT's also my first time writing Nozoeli, so I hope I did that well here and that I continue to do it well throughout the story. I watched a bit of LLSIP and read some doujins before reading this, so I hope that paid off. As always please enjoy and tell me your thoughts in the comments. Have a nice day!


	2. Chapter 2

The moment Eli awoke, she sprung to life. She had barely slept the night before out of sheer anticipation and excitement, she didn’t really understand why she was so excited to visit someone she had met just yesterday. But it didn’t stop her from beaming as she changed into her commoner clothes. 

Rarely did she look at herself in the mirror, but all of a sudden she was. Analyzing each aspect of her disguise and appearance. Any other day she would have left the out of place hairs and messy ponytail alone, but she ended up meticulously adjusting herself until she was absolutely perfect.

As she poised herself in her window, a verdant glisten caught her eye. She glanced behind her and saw the small ring, it’s gem shimmering far brighter than she ever imagined it could. It seemed to absorb the sunlight and take it as it’s own. Eli turned and took it, still she didn’t put it on, merely putting it in her pocket as she climbed onto the windowsill. 

Just as she had done a thousand times before, Eli sprung from her windowsill and onto the tree-branch, it let out a weary creak as she climbed atop it and down the whole tree. She didn’t give it any thought, not for a moment. Immediately turning and running off toward the distant town. With every step it grew closer and closer, as it grew closer her heartbeat grew faster and faster. A high tempo percussion accompanying the whispering winds that surrounded her. 

It wasn’t all too long before she found herself at the entrance to the town. Despite such a familiar sight and unfamiliar feeling of uncertainty formed in the pit of her stoumach. Her steps grew slower and slower as the purple tent began coming into view. Everything else seemed to fall silent, she could no longer hear the children screaming as they played, or the vendors beckoning to passersby to buy whatever it was they were selling, everything was faded. 

Every second felt like ten, every step felt like a hundred, every heartbeat felt like a thousand. Eli could barely begin to understand why she felt as tense as she did. She began losing focus, her body just carrying on walking on auto-pilot as she retreated inwards into her mind. “Why am I being like this? I’m just going to see Nozomi. I mean, she’s attractive and all. But I shouldn’t be acting so strangely like this over just that.”

All of a sudden, she was met with a soft impact to her face. In all of her frustrated consideration she had utterly forgotten the world around her. That was, until she found her face nestled in Nozomi’s chest. For a couple of seconds it remained there as the fact sunk in entirely. Neither of them moved. Eli jerked away from Nozomi, a blush quickly overtaking her. All Nozomi did was snicker, waiting for see what Eli had to say for herself. 

“Uh...N-nozomi-San. I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going and then just. That happened.” Eli nervously adjusted the bandanna she wore over her mouth.

As her giggling finally subsided, Nozomi responded. “It’s fine, don’t worry. It’s just a good thing you walked into something so soft and not a wall or something.” Eli’s blush only worsened as her eyes began moving downward, helplessly unable to resist the good opportunity to stare at her chest. 

She barely managed to tear her eyes away. “Anyway, I was just looking for you. Are you ready for me to show you around?” she felt the tension within her begin to fade.

Nozomi stretched and smiled. “Yep. But first I wanna know why you were walking around like that.”

“Like what?” Eli asked, she knew exactly what she was talking about. She had been walking with her face down and her back slightly hunched, leading to their abrupt meeting. However she feigned ignorance still, not wanting to tell her about the odd tension that had taken her over.

“All hunched over and weird. You looked like a goblin or something.” Nozomi giggled, before pausing and admiring her face. “Hmm. Nah, too pretty to be a goblin. More like… A grumpy elf? I don’t know.” 

She ignored everything about the joke except pretty she blushed, thankful the bandanna she wore was covering it. “Uh, it was nothing. I just walk like that sometimes.” she said.

Before she knew it, the bandanna was snatched from her face. Nozomi immediately stuffed it in her pocket and smiled. “There. That’s better.”

Eli gasped, panickedly looking around out of fear that somebody had seen her face. Luckily, no one seemed to be watching them. “N-nozomi-San! Give that back! I need it!”

“No you don’t. Besides, you look better without it.” she smiled and tapped her nose with her finger. “You can have it back once you’ve shown me around.”

It was clear that Eli didn’t really have a choice, she couldn’t bring herself to tell her no and wipe the adorable smile off of her face. “Okay.” she sighed. Despite her shorter stature, it was clear that Nozomi was far more in control of the situation than her. However, she didn’t particularly mind.

“Okay, follow me then.” Eli declared, beginning to walk with Nozomi in tow. She knew exactly where she wanted to take her first; she took her to the town entrance, turning around to look down the bustling street. Although they had just walked down it, she could see from Nozomi’s face a new appreciation for it. 

“Eli, didn’t we just walk through here?” she questioned, taking in the sights of the chaotic town. She had never really noticed it in the days she had been staying, only now was she beginning to truly understand the unending movement and liveliness of the place.

“Yeah, and we’re gonna walk back through. But we’re going to go slowly and see everything, okay? It’s nice, trust me. I do it every time I come here.” she smiled, putting a hand on Nozomi’s back and pushing her lightly as an indicator to start walking.

She took each step slowly and thoughtfully, her head turning from side to side as she tried to take in everything the street had to offer. She closed her eyes, taking in the smell of freshly baked bread and flowers, listening to the sound of laughter and conversation, the stones beneath her feet felt like intricate patterns as they lead her forward. Something about the town managed to touch Nozomi, much in the same way it did Eli. It was as if life had been condensed down into one little piece of land. She turned back suddenly, looking to Eli who was slowly following behind her, observing her every move and reaction with a grin. “Eli, can we buy some stuff?”

“Oh, sure. Where do you want to start?” she asked, eager to truly start showing Nozomi everything the town had to offer.

“Bread. I’m starvin’” she said blatantly, striding past her and to the bread stall. The bread still emanated warmth, clearly fresh from the small stony bakery behind it. She questioned why the stall had to exist at all, but soon noticed that the bakery doubled as a house. From within it’s walls she could hear a family talking, something about one of them eating the bread they were selling for herself. It was clear the girl behind the stall was also listening to the conversation, from the way her blue eyes guiltily darted about and how she nervously played with her orange hair.

“Hey, excuse me.” Eli started, carefully choosing how she angled her face in a bit to not be recognized. Suddenly the girl sprung to life, it was as if a fire had suddenly lit before them. 

“Hello, welcome to Homura Bakery! What would you like?” she blurted out, suddenly seeming endlessly energetic. Despite the sudden burst of life she paused as she looked the two of them over, Eli shivered and looked further away, desperate for her not to notice. “Wait a minute…”

By now she had already planned her escape route, if the girl knew who she was she would grab Nozomi by the hand and sprint down the nearest alley, take two lefts and- Suddenly, she retraced her thoughts. “Take Nozomi? I couldn’t do that, could I? No, no… She can’t find out either.” after that brief detour, she froze. Chilled to the bone once again at the prospect of her identity being revealed. “Would it be all over?” she thought, horrified at the all too familiar prospect of never returning to the town.

“You’re the mask lady! Except without the mask!” the girl exclaimed. Eli let out a sigh of both relief and confusion. Either her hair was a better disguise than expected, or the orange haired girl wasn’t particularly smart. Although the latter seemed far more likely, she just accepted that she was safe for now and moved on.

“Yep, that’s me. Can I get my usual thing, please? Except well, two this time.” she glanced at Nozomi who responded with only a confused look which she soon matched. Meanwhile, the bakery girl began packing their bread into a simple paper bag.

“Are you paying for me too? And aren’t you gonna check how much it costs?” Nozomi asked, tilting her head and looking up at Eli.

“Yes. And, no? Am I meant to? I don’t usually do that at stalls. They either tell me or I just put the money down and leave…” she replied nervously, she had never even realised, she cursed herself for not realising earlier. She knew to ask in proper buildings, she had even asked Nozomi in her tent, it had just never occurred to her to do the same at stalls.  
Nozomi giggled “Well, yeah. You’re meant to. But if you have that kind of money, then go ahead.” 

“No, no. I’ll ask.” she muttered, face flushing with embarrassment. Once the girl returned from packaging the bread, she cleared her throat and spoke “So, how much is it?” 

“Well, this is the really good bread… And there’s two of them… Thirty eight.”

Eli didn’t react, Nozomi gasped. “That’s quite a lot for two pieces of bread, y’know. Are you really just gonna buy it?” she asked, the shock wearing off quickly.

“Sure? Thirty eight isn’t much…” she shrugged, placing the money on the table and handing her the bag of bread before turning away from the bread stall. 

“...I like you more and more every second, Eli.” Nozomi said, taking the bread from the bag and eating. She was amazed at the taste of it, it had a slight saltiness to it, always complimenting the flavour but never overtaking it, the balance of each ingredient was astounding, she had never seen any food as perfectly made, the way it stretched and tore and seemed to only get better with each bite was incredible.

The two walked in relative silence, both eating away at their bread. After only a short minute or so of walking, Nozomi froze, eyes locked on the jewelry glistening in the trinket shop. She barely noticed Eli continue to walk as she intently gazed at the sky blue gem in the shop. It caught light in a familiar, beautiful way. Taking a step closer, she admired how it contrasted the gold of the ring it adorned. It was incredibly expensive, she could barely afford it, but still she found herself fishing for her coins. It had a magnetic charm, something about it pulled her in and refused to let go.

She took the ring, stepping inside and paying for it. She admired it in her hand, yet she couldn’t bring herself to wear it. Her attention suddenly snapped back to the world around her as she heard a call of “Nozomi!”. Quickly she stuffed the ring into her pocket, she didn’t exactly know why she was hiding it from Eli but it just seemed like the right thing to do.

“Sorry, I got a bit lost. I’m still new here y’know.” she said, staring at Eli and smiling.

“No, no, it’s fine. Sorry for leaving you behind.” she smiled back, Nozomi couldn’t look away, her focus entirely on Eli. She looked her over properly for the first time, she looked a lot better in the sunlight than the dark of the tent. Her blonde hair framed her regal face beautifully, she carried a sense of importance and grace wherever she went. Despite this, she was never intimidating. Her smile was soft and inviting, drawing Nozomi in each and every time she was blessed with the sight of it. Her eyebrows managed to switch her from intense to enticing in a second. Unlike Eli, she was utterly unashamed to stare at her chest. Which she did for a good minute or so, pretending to be lost in thought. She took one last look at her face, finding herself completely enamored. “Say… Can I start calling you Elichi?” she asked, her usual confidence wavering.

“Sure.” she responded. “Only if I can call you Nozomi-Chan though.”

She nodded. “Where to now Elichi?” although the change in name was simple, she adored it, helplessly unable to not smile while saying it.

“Hm. There’s a hill I generally like visiting.” she replied, looking up at the sky in thought “We could go there if you’d like, Nozomi-Chan.”

“A hill? I heard some people around town talking about it. What was it they were calling it…” she pondered, spending a few seconds silent as she figured out the exact words she would spring upon her “Lovers’ peak? Wow Elichi, so forward! I didn’t think you felt that way about me...” 

Her face transformed, a red blush sweeping over it. “T-they call it that?” I didn’t know, I swear!” she took a few stumbling steps away from Nozomi, embarrassed. 

“Whoah, Elichi! I was kidding! You look like you’re gonna faint.” she all but shouted, panicking slightly as Eli began losing her balance. 

She readjusted herself, standing upright after a minute. “O-okay. I’m fine. Heheh, you really got me with that one Nozomi-Chan.” she smiled.

Nozomi smiled back. The two of them began walking, chattering as they made their way over to the hill. Once they stood at it’s base, Nozomi stopped, staring off into the distance at a palatial house “Elichi, what’s that house? It’s huge.” 

“Oh, um. A rich family lives there. The Nishikinos.” she said matter of factly, seeming to forget that not only was she a princess, who was in contact with the rich families of the area, but that Nozomi had only came into town recently.

“I see, I’ve never seen a house that big.” she commented, continuing her journey up the steep hill. 

The two panted once they finally reached the top, practically collapsing to the ground. “Hey, Elichi.” Nozomi began, sitting up and turning to her “I can see why you like it here.” she said, taking in the cerulean sky above her. She lost her balance slightly, finding herself leaning into Eli slightly. Neither of them seemed to notice or mind. 

The day passed by. The two of them just talking and spending time with one another. The sun lazily rolled across the sky, their conversation outliving its long journey. As the sun began to finally set, washing the landscape in an orange-pink light. The two separated, walking in separate directions. Utterly contented.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update this. Loads of stuff has happened to me lately and it's kinda hindered my ability to write, it might still for a little while longer. We'll see. Anyhow, I'm glad to finally have this up. I absolutely love this fic and it's settings and I've enjoyed writing it a lot. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it! I've got some spicy stuff planned for this, so I hope you all stick with this fic and keep following it. As always, tell me your thoughts in the comments and I hope you have a nice day.


	3. Chapter 3

Eli found herself before two grand doors. She was all made up and adorned in her usual fashion, a regal cyan dress that almost exploded from the waist downward, her blonde hair was a golden frame around a beautiful portrait, from a mere look you could tell she was royalty, from how she carried herself to tiny details like the intricate silver patterns painted onto her nails. 

 

She knocked uncharacteristically loudly, although she was in her princess attire, there was no need for her to act like one; there was no one around to see her and she knew it wouldn’t bother those beyond the colossal doors that stood before her. 

 

As she waited for the doors to open, she turned and gazed off to the hill she and Nozomi had rested on the day before. Sighing contentedly, she played through the events in her head. She blushed slightly, beginning to wonder just what Nozomi was doing at this moment in time. Eli had wanted to go see her that day too, but she quickly realised that going out for a third day in a row would be too suspicious. That being said, she couldn’t stand the idea of just sitting around the castle and thinking of Nozomi. So, she told her parents that she would be visiting the Nishikino household and set off to do just that. 

 

The doors finally opened, Eli didn’t notice however. She was still lost in thought about Nozomi and the time they had shared the previous day. “Welcome! What business do you have at the Nishikino household? I, Nico Yazawa, head maid of the Nishikino family would be happy to help yo- Oh. It’s just you, Eli.” the voice began chipper, friendly and welcoming. However it quickly shifted to a deflated, less energetic tone, it lacked any respect despite the status of who she was talking to. 

 

Eli smiled, amused at the sudden change in the girl’s voice. “Hello Nico-Chan” she said, turning to face her. Eli utterly eclipsed her in height, despite their equal age. The look of slight irritation on Nico’s face softened to a small smile. 

 

“You here to see Maki-Chan?” she questioned, leaning back on the door behind her and fiddling with one of her black twintails. 

 

“Both of you, really.” Eli replied, taking her first steps through the doorway despite not being invited in. Nico followed silently, it was clear that Eli’s words had gotten to her, something about Eli coming to see her and not just Maki had touched her. “Also, you’re not head maid. Have you just been telling people that?” Any feelings of goodwill Nico may have been feeling were replaced by embarrassment and irritation in an instant.

 

“Um. No… I was just uh. Trying it this once.” she mumbled, looking over her shoulder at nothing in particular. Eli simply giggled, gradually making her way through the great halls. She knew the directions off by heart, although it had taken her years to finally get them absolutely right. Once they reached Maki’s room, Nico took the courtesy of opening the door and announcing their presence “Hey Maki-Chan! Eli’s here!” 

 

Maki looked up from her book, some story she was never really interested in to begin with. “Hello Eli. What’re you here for?” she asked uncaringly. 

 

“Nothing really, I just wanted to catch up. I haven’t been over for a week or so.” she replied, taking a seat across from Maki on her bed. “Or was it two weeks?” 

 

“It’s been three weeks, Eli.” Maki pointed out bluntly, placing the book on her bedside table. Nico sniggered, taking a seat nearby at Maki’s desk. 

 

“Oh…” Eli went red with embarrassment “Sorry about that. Anyway, how have you been?” 

 

“Fine. My parents have been out quite a bit. So it’s just been Nico-Chan and I for a while now.” she answered curtly. 

 

“Oh? Just you and Nico-Chan?” Eli teased, nudging her suggestively. 

 

“What? I-it’s nothing like that!” she exclaimed, fiddling with a few strands of her red hair. “Anyway, I suppose you’ve been sneaking out like always?” she hadn’t quite regained her composure yet, switching the topic in a desperate plea to get the attention off of her. 

 

“Yes I have. It’s gotten a whole lot more interesting recently though.” she seemed to light up as she spoke, clearly excited to share her story with the other two.

 

“I don’t get what could be so exciting.” Nico dismissed. “It’s kinda just a normal town, no different to the one I came from. Apart from the castle, I guess.” 

 

“Well, it wasn’t the town itself. It was this person I met.” Eli began, a faint blush appearing on her face as she began to explain. “Her name is Nozomi, she’s a fortune teller. Have you seen the purple tent in town? That’s hers. She’s really funny and smart, she taught me a lot about her cards.” 

 

Eli continued ranting about Nozomi and the days they had shared, obviously enamored. “So, you came to tell us about this girl you’re into?” Nico asked, cutting her off. 

 

She recoiled in shock “W-well. I wouldn’t quite say I’m into her…” she muttered, her voice trailing off as she reached the end of her obvious lie.

 

“A princess and a fortune teller, huh? Sounds like one of those novels you read, Maki-Chan.” she teased. 

 

“Wh-what are you talking about Nico-Chan? I don’t read things like that, it’s such a clichéd and boring set up. A commoner and a high class person dating. I-I have no interest in it at all.” despite the confidence in her words, the way she blushed and stared at Nico suggested otherwise. 

 

As tempted as Eli was to join in on the teasing, she decided to leave Maki be. She would enjoy pointing out her obvious interest in Nico, but she’d rather the two figure out their mutual feelings naturally. 

 

“Anyway, Eli. That’s not enough detail! What does she look like? Where’s she from? We need more information!” Nico badgered, picking up her chair and moving closer to the bed.

 

“Well she was almost as tall as me, but not quite. She had long purple hair tied into twintails, kinda like yours but lower down. Uh, her chest was um. Big. She had these soft eyes that looked like emeralds.” Eli said, smiling to herself as she spoke. “And she has a really cute smil-”

 

“Wait, wait. Soft eyes?” Maki asked “What does that even mean?”

 

“It means um. They’re comforting and nice? When she looks at me I feel kind of, calmer and happier. Does that make sense?” 

 

“I see.” Maki nodded in understanding. “So it’s just a fancy way of saying she had nice green eyes?” she tore down Eli’s romanticised descriptions of her appearance.

 

“Yeah, I suppose…” she replied, embarrassed at how she had described Nozomi. 

 

“Really, Maki-Chan? That’s what you’re gonna point out? And not her weirdly mentioning her chest?” Nico yapped “What’s that all about, hmm?” 

 

Eli buried her face into her hands, hopelessly flustered and embarrassed. Fortunately, Maki came to her rescue. “You’re just jealous, Nico-Chan.” she commented crassly. 

 

“What? No I’m not! My chest is perfectly fine.” she grumbled, protectively crossing her arms.

 

Maki sighed. “Nico-Chan, get us some tea please.” her tone changed slightly, colder and more commanding. It was clearly an order for her to leave and not a request. 

 

“Fine, fine. You don’t have to be so rude about it.” she complained, leaving the room to fulfill her request.

 

“Eli.” Maki let out another sigh. “You know that it’d never work, right?”   
“What wouldn’t?” she wasn’t actually oblivious, but she couldn’t bring herself to accept what Maki was saying, even in the slightest. 

 

“A relationship with that fortune teller girl. You’re lucky enough that your parents accept your.” Maki paused for a moment. “Preferences. But a commoner would be going too far. Hell, I couldn’t get away with that if I tried and I’m just a noble. You’re the princess, you can’t keep living this double life thing. Especially if you want to start involving other people.” Eli didn’t look all too upset. There were no tears, she didn’t say anything or make a sound, but Maki could still notice the cracks in her façade;She saw the ways she quivered slightly, the way she clenched her fist, every little hint that her cool and collected appearance wasn’t what it seemed. “It’s upsetting, I know. But you have to understand you can’t go running out into that town forever, and that dating that Nozomi girl, or anyone for that matter is completely out of the question.” 

 

She was clearly hurt, Maki hated that she had to be the one to tell her, but in her eyes she was just being realistic. “You’re right, I suppose…” she mumbled. “I-I’ll stop once she leaves town, okay?” she couldn’t bring herself to stop right then and there, she figured that stopping once Nozomi was gone would be a good compromise. “And yes. I won’t make any advances on her or anything. We’ll just be friends.” 

 

“Fine. Just try not to get too invested, okay? You’ve got important things to do, you can’t spend all your time missing that commoner.” Maki internally winced at how brutally honest she had to be with her, but she couldn’t stand the thought of what could happen to Eli.

 

“Okay.” she replied, her voice hollow. “How long will Nico-Chan be with the tea?” 

 

“Not long now.” Maki said, just as hollow.

 

After a few eternity long minutes, Nico returned. She handed each of them a cup of tea. “So, Eli. Do you have anything else to tell us about?” 

“No, that was about it.” she lied. Her hand lightly tracing the ring she had brought with her, her thumb running over it’s smooth emerald centrepiece. It was far too late for her to ask their advice now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter down! Sorry it was a little bit late, but I enjoyed it a lot. Like this fic with Nozoeli, this chapter is my first time writing NicoMaki as well as Nico and Maki themselves. I think I did a pretty good job. It only occurred to me once I finished that I'd been writing BiBi this whole time, I suppose my subunit obsession is seeping into this fic too. I think I balanced the comedic and emotional parts of this pretty decently? I don't know, perhaps the switch from the comedic part to the serious conversation wtih Maki was a bit sudden? I'm not sure. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it, comment if you have any thoughts or feelings you want to express, I always love reading and replying to them. And I hope you have a nice day.


	4. Chapter 4

Oftentimes the castle felt more like a prison than a home, it’s deathly grey walls always seemed more designed to contain than to house. Despite this, Eli still felt a certain attachment to it. The way the floorboards would creak when she made her way up to her room, the all consuming echos that could come from a mere whisper in the grand halls, the paintings that always managed to hang slightly crooked, tiny details like this meant the most to Eli. They were imperfections, but she loved them. As a royal family they were expected to be the absolutely ideal examples for their subjects to follow, so little things like that were all that really humanised them. In a tiny, tiny way, they relieved the immense pressure she carried. They reminded her that she too was a mere human like anyone else, that she was Eli Ayase, not just a princess.

Of course, there was something far more major tethering her to the place. The people who resided there. She had a family she couldn’t afford or bring herself to leave. Her mother, father and sister were the most important people in the world to her. Even her friends couldn’t quite reach that tier, no matter how much she cared for and adored them, they always fell slightly behind her family. But from somewhere deep inside her, she could feel desires challenging that, she could feel those forces pulling her, trying their hardest to finally pull her free. 

No matter how much she thought on the subject, she could never reach a conclusion. She could never decide between the two. Freedom or familiarity, it was an all but impossible choice to make. Matters were only growing worse as similar debates began tearing her apart. Her family or Nozomi. She admitted it was far, far too early to think about it, she admitted she shouldn’t even be thinking about it at all. But regardless the thought ate away at her and refused to let her rest. 

Currently, however. A separate question was splitting her mind in two. To take or leave the ring. It was a deceptively simple decision, it represented far more than a simple piece of jewelry. If she left it, it meant she wouldn’t be able to give it to Nozomi as she had planned, effectively meaning that she would keep her word to Maki and give up on her. If she kept it, she could give it to Nozomi, a precious gift representing her feelings toward her. That is, if the opportunity arose. If she took the ring, it meant she was willing to pursue that opportunity. It meant that she truly wanted something with Nozomi.

Her eyes remained fixated on the ring for a long while, exploring it’s familiar green tone. “I’m going too fast.” she thought to herself. She never went quickly, it wasn’t fitting for a royal. As royalty everyone moved at your calm, collected pace. You never rushed. She couldn’t stand it, she wanted to do everything as fast or as slow as she pleased. But she could never do anything unbecoming, it was forbidden. It was oppressive and painful. She could never really feel, tears, the red hot feeling of rage, a sense of joy beyond a polite smile were unfitting for someone of her position. Even when she was in private, with her friends or with her family this attitude still affected her. The only times she ever really got to be free is when she got out, when she rejected her public identity entirely and all but gave up her position. 

Once again, it was an impossible dilemma that she alone could never hope to face. And so, she returned to her simpler, yet still difficult issue. To take the ring or not to take the ring. 

Eli had grown so engrossed in thought that she completely forgot about the world beyond the ring, completely unaware of the soft knock on her door and the abrupt opening of it that followed. “Excuse-” the voice suddenly stopped, being replaced with a confused gasp.

It was probably the last person Eli would have wanted to discover her; Her younger sister Alisa stood in the doorway, eyes wide and mouth agape. “Wh-what are you wearing?” she stumbled over her words, shutting the door behind her as she drew closer to her sister.

“N-nothing. What do you want?” she sternly replied, trying her best to deter her sister from discovering more than she already had. Unfortunately, curiousity had clearly taken a hold of Alisa and it didn’t seem like it’s grip would loosen any time soon.

“It wasn’t that important anyway.” she dismissed “Are these peasant clothes?” she prodded and tugged at the cheap cloth inquisitively, she had never seen anything quite like it in her life.

At this point she couldn’t hide it. “Yes. And they’re commoners. Not peasants. Haven’t I told you to stop calling them that?” she sighed.

“Sorry. My friends keep saying it and so it just rubs off on me.” Alisa muttered sheepishly, looking at the ground apologetically. 

“Remind me to get you some new friends.” Eli half joked, she really didn’t approve of the people Arisa often found herself around.

“Why are you wearing commoner clothes?” she seemed to take notice of what Eli had said, but decided to not respond. 

There was very little she could think to say, she certainly couldn’t think of an excuse to get her out of the situation. So she resolved to just admit her activities then and there. “You can’t tell anyone about this. But I’m going out. Okay?”

“O-out? Off the castle grounds? Without permission?” she asked, answering her own questions as she did. Eli simply nodded to all three. “Wh-why? Where?” she glanced down at the ring in Eli’s hands, which she swiftly hid behind her back.

“Out to a nearby town.” she said simply, neglecting to answer the first half of the question. Alisa was smarter than Eli would give it credit for, figuring out most of Eli’s intention from the very little information she had.

“Are you going out to give that ring to a girl?” she questioned, she was pretty confident she was right, but still she wore an expression of innocent uncertainty.

“...M-maybe. If the opportunity arises. I-I don’t know.” Eli muttered, blushing. She had never wanted her sister to find out. Thankfully, she knew she could trust her to keep her secret safe. 

“Wow!” Alisa beamed up at her “You’ve got to tell me everything!” she made an attempt to demand, looking at Eli as intensely as she could manage.

Sighing, Eli went into her explanation. She ended up going on rants and side stories about little details of Nozomi’s. From her speech Alisa could already tell her sister was absolutely enamored. “Wow… Can you take me out next time? I wanna explore that town too!” she pleaded.

As big a risk she felt it could be, she couldn’t bring herself to deny her sister. “Maybe not next time. But I will sometime. Okay?”

“Alright!” Alisa began, beaming to herself and preparing to leave her sister.

“Wait! You won’t tell anyone. Right?” Eli didn’t really fear she would, but she felt she needed a sense of certainty that could only come from her verbal confirmation.

“Of course not.” she paused before leaving, turning to Eli one last time. “You looked a bit confused about that ring. Are you scared of confessing? Don’t be! It’s just like in the songs and the stories! The characters are always sad until they finally confess and they feel a lot better.”  
Eli didn’t respond immediately, but her sisters words were the little push she needed to finally resolve to bring the ring. (Although, she wouldn’t necessarily be confessing.) “I wasn’t aware you were so interested in forbidden romances…” Eli teased. Earning a yelp and a sudden leave from Alisa. 

Eli was left alone, although she wouldn’t be for much longer. She positioned herself in her windowsill and leapt, taking her usual route to visit Nozomi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally intended to be only a part of a bigger chapter, but I've decided to make it it's own standalone because 1. I want to post something 2. I feel the transition is awkward without a chapter break and 3. I think this is enough for a chapter. This is again, another first for me. Being my first time writing Alisa. Her dynamic with Eli is something I think I may explore again, I think maybe I'll write about the time Eli takes her out to town. Perhaps she'd meet with a certain Kousaka and something could happen there? Who knows. This chapter is a bit short, sorry about that. Let's hope the quality makes up for it, I suppose. I feel like Chapter 5 will be a fair bit longer and contain a lot more spicy shenanigans. So, look forward to that! Hope you all enjoy reading and have a nice day.


	5. Chapter 5

“Hey Elichi…” Nozomi began, a plotting grin forming on her face. “You’re filthy rich, right?” she asked, looking Eli directly in the eyes as she did.

Shock took her over momentarily, wondering if Nozomi had somehow figured out her true identity. She knew it was impossible to deny, she had already shown off her excessive wealth in front of her. “What makes you think that?” she responded, deciding a neutral approach would be the best one.

“Well, you bought that fancy bread without a thought. And well, you kinda act like a rich girl, y’know? You don’t know much about normal society when it comes to buying stuff.” she listed off her reasons, Eli instantly knew she had been thoroughly exposed. Nozomi could tell she had hit the nail on the head, grinning up at Eli. “So, I’m right?”

She nodded and sighed in response. “Yeah, I guess.” she stated. “I don’t like telling people though.” she admitted, glancing at the ground awkwardly. She couldn’t tell her exactly why, but she’d give her that much.

“Well, considering how much money you have, would it kill you to treat a girl sometime?” She nudged Eli teasingly. “Why don’t you take me to the richer part of town, huh?” she asked, simultaneously genuine and taunting.

In reality, she had an extremely good reason for never taking her. There was an immense risk to it, in the poorer areas, no one knew that much about the royal family. They were just these faceless figures that they revered and knew of, but never saw. In the upper class, they knew plenty about the royal family. Some of them even knew her personally, and there was no way they wouldn’t expose her identity, only Nico and Maki even knew she lived the double life that she did. “W-well, I just. I don’t really like it there.” she stuttered.

She would have loved to take Nozomi, she really would. However, two things stopped her. Firstly, the risk of her identity being revealed. Secondly, her promise to Maki. She swore she wouldn’t get too attached, she couldn’t go any further than she already had with her. 

One look at the disappointment on Nozomi’s face utterly destroyed her. She cursed herself for being so weak. “I mean. We can still go, if that’s what you want.” she said slowly. Mentally scolding herself, she looked away from her, still frustrated with irresolute she had been. After a few seconds of mental beration, she began to rationalise. “It isn’t a date. We’re just hanging out.” she told herself. “As friends.” she reminded herself solemnly, her mind drifting to what could have been if circumstances were different. Perhaps they could date, perhaps Nozomi could show her the world as they traveled from town to town with her tent. Ultimately, any fantasy she had was pointless. It could and would never come to fruition.

“Hm. Alright then Elichi. Let’s go.” Nozomi responded, smiling calmingly at Eli. “Is something wrong though? You seem a little stressed.” she slipped her arm into Eli’s, beginning to walk with her.

“Oh, no. It’s nothing.” she slipped a hand into her pocket and returned her bandanna to her face, she hadn’t worn it a while. By now, it felt unfamiliar, wrong. “Just, let me wear this, okay?” she asked in a falsely happy tone.

“Mmk.” Nozomi replied, looking away from her with a slight frown, disappointed she wouldn’t get to see all of Eli’s pretty face.

A few quiet minutes passed by as they made their way through the familiar areas of the town, Eli’s grip on Nozomi gradually grew tighter as they approached the upper half, it was so slight and gradual it was hardly noticeable how they had gotten even closer together. It was clear where the transition point was, it was as if some invisible line existed, dividing two separate worlds. In reality, there was but a road for carriages between the two areas.

Each building was much nicer than the ones they had encountered before, the wood was polished and they were decorated far more. Eli gave Nozomi a chance to drink it all in, smiling under her bandanna at how Nozomi’s curious gaze went from place to place. “See anywhere you like?” she asked, never taking her eyes off of Nozomi.

“Yeah. That dress shop right there. Let’s go there Elichi.” she replied, her focus locked on the worst place possible.

Of all the shops that lined the road, of all the places Nozomi’s eyes could possibly fall upon, it had to be that one. Eli was extremely familiar with it, after all, her dresses came from there. Not only that, but she knew the owner well. Her face went pale with fear, she wanted to turn away and run, but Nozomi kept her firmly in place. “You sure? I’ve heard of that place. I-it’s awful. One of the worst places in town.” she stuttered, desperately trying to discourage her.

“Well, now I’m even more curious.” she snickered, pulling Eli with her toward the shop. Luckily, they just stood outside the window, looking at what was on display, earning Eli at least a little more time to figure out just how to escape the situation.

Of course, her hopes were immediately dashed, and the situation flung itself from bad to worse. The door to the shop swung open, heavy steps echoing as the distressingly familiar person stepped out. Her blue hair contrasted the greyish silver armour she wore, colour and dullness clashing against one another. As she moved, it clacked loosely, it seemed she had put it on carelessly. Immediately, her amber eyes locked on Eli intensely before widening in shock. “E-eli-Sama?” was all she managed, a combination of shock and irritation in her voice.

Instinct kicked in for Eli, fight or flight. Her legs felt immovable, so her one option was clear. Her mind rushed from option to option, to act and hope Umi followed along with it, to try and slip away from Nozomi and talk to her in private or to distract her somehow. Quickly, she concluded the third option would be best, Umi would be too dense to follow along with her acting and Nozomi would certainly find her sneaking off suspicious. “U-umi-San. What’re you doing here?” she asked, a devilish plan already forming.

“I could ask you the same thing.” she said firmly, approaching Eli. As she stepped into the light, a golden emblem shimmered on her shoulder. A stylised fox, a symbol of the Ayase royal family. It’s shining colour denoted her position, head of the royal guard. It was well and truly the worst case scenario for Eli, her and Alisa’s personal bodyguard, the head of her family’s royal guard, stood directly in front of her and Nozomi.

She knew she had no time to waste in enacting her devilish plan. “I’m sure yours is far more interesting. After all, you just walked out of a dress shop. Getting fitted, perhaps?” she knew the idea of a dress would fluster Umi a little, but really it was just a diversion so she could lead into the hard hitting strike that would follow.

“S-Something like that.” she dismissed, flushing slightly. “Anyway, answer me now.”

“Not that? I suppose you were visiting the owner then? What was it again? Kotori? Was it some kind of private meeting with her?” she said suggestively.

Eli grinned as Umi’s face dyed itself red and her eyes grew to an unfathomable size “O-of course not! D-don’t suggest something so shameless.” she yelped, blushing and looking back at the shop. Umi looked as if she were about to speak, but only fractured syllables came out. Giving up, she gave Eli a hard stare before walking away. They both knew they’d have to discuss this later.

“Who was that Elichi?” Nozomi asked, watching Umi leave. “She a friend of yours?” she asked, a tiny hint of defensiveness and jealousy to her tone. 

“Uh. Well. No.” she mumbled, piecing together a story. “I used to get in trouble with the law a lot. So she knows me from back then.” Eli smiled to herself, it sounded pretty convincing to her. 

Nozomi hummed in suspicion. “Alright.” she said, seeming entirely convinced. “Let’s go somewhere else then, dresses don’t seem like your thing, Elichi.” she commented, beginning to lead her away from the shop. “Although, I’d really like to see you in one.” she snickered to herself, “ A short lacy one, or a form fitting one.” she giggled, ignoring Eli’s flustered face so she could focus on her fantasies. 

“A-anyway, where should we go then? There’s a nice library there.” she noted, pointing at the large building. “We could go there.” 

After a moment of pondering, Nozomi spoke up “Sure.” she shrugged, releasing Eli’s arm only to seize her hand. “Come on, Elichi.”

“You seem to really like saying my name.” she pointed out, it wasn’t something she minded, merely something she noticed. What she did mind was Nozomi’s hand in hers, in now way did she dislike it, but it certainly embarrassed her, turning her face redder than it had ever been before.

“Hmmm. Yeah, I do.” she sang happily, “I like havin’ my own nickname for you.” as she finished her sentence, she squeezed Eli’s hand slightly.

“I-I see.”

Their walk concluded, leaving them before the library. It was nearly the biggest building in the town, eclipsing all but the church and town hall. Despite it’s size, Eli pushed open a heavy door effortlessly, leaning against it so Nozomi could walk through “Thank you, Elichi.” she said, looking over Eli admiringly as she walked past. 

The library was sparsely populated, with only a few guests and seemingly only one member of staff, who stood behind a desk overlooking the place. Despite how barren and empty everything was, there was a shimmer of wonder and joy in her yellow eyes. She waved slightly at Eli and Nozomi entered, looking away from them as they went and found somewhere to sit.

Only Eli bothered finding a book, Nozomi simply sat down, waiting for her. Once she had sat down, Nozomi spoke up “Hey Elichi. Do you think that girl’s cute?” 

“Wh-what?” she responded, shocked by the suddenness and nature of the question. 

“Do you think that girl is cute?” she repeated, watching Eli’s face intently. 

“Um, I-I don’t know.” she mumbled, dismissing the question.

“Are you not into girls that way?” Nozomi asked, almost sadly. “I mean, the cards said you’d fall in love with a girl, so you must be, right? The cards couldn’t be wrong.” 

“W-well…” Eli began, a spark forming in Nozomi’s eyes as she did “T-they aren’t wrong. I-I am. It’s just, she’s not really my type? I suppose.” she mumbled, struggling to make her way through the sentence. At this point she was glad she had the bandanna on, she knew Nozomi would take advantage of her blush if she could see it. 

“Hm, I see. What is your type then Elichi?” she asked teasingly, leaning into her slightly and grinning. 

Wriggling with discomfort, Eli stood up. “Th-this book is boring, I’m gonna go uh, read another one.” she muttered, making her way down the aisles of the library quickly before placing the book in the general area she had found it in. She sighed, staying hidden between the two towering bookshelves. She needed some time to reflect, to look at herself and Nozomi. 

Once again, she reminded herself of her promise to Maki, she swore to her and herself that she’d keep it, and yet with every move Nozomi made, temptation pulled at her more. It was clear Nozomi wanted her, she knew she wanted Nozomi. It would be so, so easy for her to just do it. To just tell her that she loved her. Despite how quick it felt, it was almost magical, how easily and quickly Nozomi had attracted her. It had only been a few weeks, yet she already knew she was in love. It pained her so much to endure Nozomi’s flirtations, but to never act on them. If only she wasn’t a princess, if only Nozomi wasn’t a commoner. If only life wasn’t the way it was.

It was pointless to mull over, she decided. Sighing her feelings away, she stepped out from the aisle she had hidden herself in. Confusingly, Nozomi wasn’t where she had left her. Slowly, Eli looked around. It didn’t take long to spot her, she was at the very front of the library, talking with the librarian. She laughed, her light brown hair shaking as she did. Both of them laughed together, they seemed to be enjoying eachother’s company.

Fire blazed in Eli’s stomach, it was a feeling she had never really experienced before. Jealousy. Although she struggled to understand the feeling, it still burned passionately within her. She had to act on it. It wasn’t a choice, it was instinct. The thought of Nozomi with someone else, the idea of her loving someone that wasn’t her. It upset her, she couldn’t bear the thought of it. “Nozomi-Chan.” she announced, arriving at the front desk, taking her place beside her.

“Hm? What is it Elichi?” immediately Nozomi figured out the presence Eli was attempting to give off, intimidating and possessive. She giggled, enjoying it. “I was just talking to Kunikida-San here.” she smiled warmly at Eli, who relaxed slightly at the sight of it. 

“I want to show you something.” she said, slipping her hand into Nozomi’s and pulling at her demandingly, it was almost childish. 

“Oh?” she snickered, glancing down at their interlocked hands. “Lead the way, Elichi.” she said, waving goodbye to the librarian with a smile. 

She responded with a slightly confused “Bye, zura.” before returning to the book on her desk.

“Where are you taking me off to Elichi?” Nozomi asked “You pretty much swept me off my feet there.” she chuckled to herself, “Not that I mind, of course.” 

“Somewhere private. I’ll explain when I get there, okay?” she explained quickly, planning her route carefully. They had to be stealthy, it was no place for a commoner.

It was probably the riskiest thing she had done yet, even more than walking around without her mask, even more than her encounter with Umi. Despite it all, she continued. She had come too far to turn back. She turned a few more corners, ducking and bringing Nozomi down with her, pushing open a gate, she stood up, looking around feverishly before finally relaxing. 

After those few tense minutes, Nozomi stood up and breathed out heavily. Before she could open her mouth to speak, the scenery struck her. Countless glass sculptures, shimmering in the sun, butterflies locked in a graceful dance, birds with wings spread, about to take off, a fox with it’s tail swiping through the air. They looked almost real, as if the animals had been frozen in time and could be unleashed at any moment. 

Flowers covered the floor of the garden, all different varieties and colours were mixed in with the soft grass. Despite the sheer amount of them, a select few stood out. A rainbow of lilies along the water, staring out to their water-bound counterparts. 

The entire garden gave off a dream like atmosphere, it seemed unreal, almost heavenly. Nozomi stepped almost cautiously, as if fearful to break the spell that froze the place in time. “Elichi, what is this place?” she asked in wonderment.

“It’s one of the royal gardens, they keep a lot of sculptures here. They only really visit it in the mornings, so we should be safe.” she replied. Somehow, with Nozomi there, the place became even more beautiful. She seemed to fit in there, matching the scenery around her perfectly.

“Come sit down Elichi.” she requested calmly, sitting down on the soft grass and starting out at the lilies lazily floating across the water. “Have you lived here all your life?” 

“Yes. I’ve never really been anywhere but this town.” she glanced at Nozomi occasionally, simply enjoying the sight of her face. 

“Heh, that’s weird to me. I’ve always been travelling. Even as a kid, my parents moved around a lot and I had to go with them.” she commented, there was no sadness, although there was no joy to it either. It was just a matter of fact statement.

“That’s sad. Don’t you ever get lonely?” she could hardly imagine what Nozomi’s life was like, she could hardly even conceive a life without her family and friends. She had no idea what she would do without Maki, or Nico, or Alisa. Any of them really.

Smiling tragically, she replied. “Nah, it’s kinda just normal now.” she said, eliciting a frown from Eli. She didn’t notice it, her eyes were locked on a lonely white lily that made it’s way across the pond. “Although, I suppose it’d be nice to settle somewhere. Have some permanent friends.” it wasn’t hard to spot the tears welling in her eyes, despite how well she hid them.

“You don’t have to keep moving y’know.” She moved slightly closer to Nozomi, her hand inches away from hers. 

“I do. After all, I don’t want to get too attached. Then it’ll just hurt more when I have to leave.” she laughed, slightly and solemnly. “It’s sad, isn’t it Elichi? I can’t have anyone.” 

“O-of course you can! You’re free! You can do anything you want! You haven’t got any responsibilities, or anyone holding you back, you can get whatever you want.” Eli ranted passionately, it tore her apart to see Nozomi so upset.

“It’s not that simple…” she began, only to have Eli cut her off. 

“It is! Can’t you see it? You can just set up your tent permanently. No more travelling. No more leaving people behind.”

Nozomi sobbed, choking out her words slowly. “I-I guess so. You must think I’m real stupid, right Elichi? Always runnin away like that.”

“No, no.” she soothed “I think I get it. You just, couldn’t find anywhere you wanted to stay, right?” 

“No.” she looked at Eli tearfully. “There were a lotsa nice places I would’ve loved to stay in.” she moved into Eli’s arms, resting a head on her chest. “Maybe.” her voice settled slightly. “Maybe I just couldn’t find someone who made me want to stay.”

Remaining silent, Eli held her, she had no idea what to say, so she settled for running her fingers through Nozomi’s hair.

“Hey, Elichi.” she smiled, her usual personality seeming to return. “I read my fortune yesterday. Wanna know what I got?” before she could respond, Nozomi started listing the cards. “Death.” she drew closer. “The Lovers.” closer still. 

Eli knew exactly where she was going, she made no attempt to stop it. She knew she should, but she couldn’t, she wouldn’t. “The Empress.” her green eyes locked onto Eli’s blue ones. “Finally. The World.” she whispered each word, her breath hot against her. “Do you remember what that one means?” 

Their faces were inches away. Everything in her mind was screaming at her to stop. To leave, to say no, anything. Her promise to Maki, the countless times she told herself this wouldn’t work replayed in her head. Still, she spoke. “C-completion.”

“Exactly.”

Every thought, every fear, every inhibition. Swept away by one kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long, but I think this chapter is worth the wait. I'm really, really proud of this chapter, I think it's great! Although, the two months it took for me to make this chapter certainly isn't. Regardless, I really like this chapter and I've really enjoyed writing it! I'm really happy with the descriptions and the characters and just everything. I hope you all enjoy it too! Have a nice day, and thank you for sticking with this fic despite the huge amount of time where it wasn't updating.
> 
> P.S. I have a tumblr now, if you wanna ask questions or talk to me or anything, you can find me on there under the name FainTheSentientBeing. Same as here.


	6. Chapter 6

“Nico-Chan!” Maki whined for about the thousandth time, restlessly wriggling about in her bed. For days now, she had been bedridden, and by now, it was getting unbearably boring. Or rather, even more unbearably boring than it was originally. 

If it were up to Maki, she wouldn’t be in bed at all. She’d insist she wasn’t sick and go about her day as normal. Unfortunately, both her parents and Nico knew a lot better than that. Surprisingly (And weirdly, in Maki’s opinion) Nico was far more concerned, while her parents simply recommended bed rest, Nico forced it upon her. Taking a whole half an hour to finally get Maki to settle into bed, all but wrestling her into laying down by the end. 

Despite how she incessantly complained, she couldn’t say she disliked it, Nico being so concerned and caring for her. Of course, she could never bring herself to admit that, she’d never live it down. 

“What is it Maki-Chan?” Nico poked her head through the door, the irritated tone she would usually have replaced by one of genuine concern. 

“I’m bored.” she stated matter of factly, looking at Nico expectantly. 

“How do you expect me to help with that? Besides, I’m busy.” she smugly stepped into the doorway, revealing a bowl and wooden spoon, there were occasional impacts from how violently she mixed.It was a familiar sound, Maki found it oddly comforting. Subtly, Nico tilted the bowl downward so Maki could see the thick dough that was forming. Her eyes lit up slightly, but her expression was a clear attempt to disguise her excitement. Although it was ultimately pointless, Nico could see right through it.

“That’s fine, I don’t need you anyway.” Maki muttered, lying through her teeth. She blinked the sparkle out of her eyes and sunk further into her bed, no longer looking at Nico.

“If you don’t need me then why did you call me?” Nico complained, starting to stir more violently. “That doesn’t make any sense!”

Maki twirled a few strands of hair, a light blush forming on her face. “Why does it even matter to you? I don’t get you!” she sunk further under her sheets, becoming covered from the neck down. Unusually, Nico let her have the last word, leaving the room, grumbling. 

“I hate Nico-Chan, what’s she so concerned for me for anyway? Why should she care if I’m sick, it just makes more work for her. How come she’s not angry at me? I don’t get it at all!” Maki struggled to comprehend it, just what was possessing Nico to be so dedicated and caring while she was sick. Usually she would complain about doing even the slightest maid work for her, normally she would try and put in the bare minimum effort, but now she was going out of her way to make Maki’s favourite tart. It was all so contradictory. 

However that wasn’t even what she hated most, what she hated most was the unusual feeling in her heart, the one causing her heart to race faster, the one making her want to smile whenever she saw Nico. It was clear it wasn’t a result of the sickness, it was something entirely separate, but she had no idea what it was. There was one possibility, but she refused to even consider it. It was wrong, it was hypocritical, it was forbidden.

There was absolutely no way she was in love with Nico.

“Hey, Maki-Chan. You asleep?” Nico prodded her face inquisitively. The minute she heard her voice her heart rate increased tenfold. She considered pretending to sleep, to hide away until Nico left, but Maki had never been one to simply run away from her problems, something had to be done and it had to be done quickly.

“No, it’s still early. Why would I sleep?” she snapped, rising from her sheets aggressively and pushing her back hard against the backboard. 

“You’re sick, sick people need rest.” Nico retorted, her harsh tone contrasted by the delicate way she placed the sheets over Maki.

“I’m not sick!” she insisted, wiggling out of the neat sheets and rising to her feet defiantly. “I’m completely fine!” she declared, ignoring the sudden dizziness that had overcome her. She reached out a hand to support her, frantically moving her arm to find something to support her. In her panic, she held onto the thing closest to her. 

Nico squeaked in shock as Maki took a hold of her, wobbling weakly, it was clear that Maki was nowhere near as healthy as she claimed she was. “Maki-Chan…” she sighed. “Lay back down.”

“No!” she rebelled, taking a clumsy step forward, unknowingly and unexpectedly placing the majority of her body weight on Nico as she stumbled.

Nico was weak, she fell and Maki fell on top of her.

As their mutual shock resided, Maki reeled back, but didn’t quite move off of Nico, she remained on top of her, staring down at her. Her intense, scowling, purple eyes softened, seeming to dim slightly, going from their usual amethyst brightness to a calmer violet. In conjunction with her change of expression, a blush swept its way across her face.

“M-maki-Chan, get off me!” Nico cried, ruining the romantic moment.Her gaze was locked definitively away from Maki, although she couldn’t help but sheepishly glance at her once or twice. 

“O-okay, okay!” she retorted, pushing herself off of Nico and collapsing back onto her bed. She groaned, finally accepting defeat. It was her fate to be bedridden.

“Alright, good. Now stay there while I go check on that tart, okay?” Nico requested, uncharacteristically politely, she exited the room, ensuring she locked it. 

Just as she began her journey to the kitchen, a series of loud knocks collided with the doors, frantic and panicked. With a sigh, she took a detour, planning to dismiss the visitor as soon as possible.

Fourty five minutes passed, Nico had still not come back. Confused thoughts swarmed Maki’s mind. “Where is she? How long does it take to check on a tart? Even if she’s finishing it, it shouldn’t take that long? Did she mess it up and start again? Then again, Nico-Chan never messes up with cooking…” among the swarm, came a far larger, more worrying thought. “What if something bad happened to her?” she felt childish for her concern. There was no way Nico could come to any harm in her home. It was about as safe as a mansion could get. But still, the foolish paranoia persisted. 

She began considering what she would do if something did happen to Nico. How she would respond if she never came back up the stairs with her tart. In truth, she hardly knew. Nico had been her maid for years, however it felt like she had always been there. She could hardly imagine a life without her.

Her paranoia settled, her mind focusing on something new, a question. Why had Nico been her maid for so long? She recalled her starting when she was rather young, a far cry from the older women that had been serving their family for ages and ages before Maki was even born. As far as she remembered, Nico had just shown up one day and started working as her maid. She had found it odd originally, a girl only two years older than her suddenly becoming her personal maid. But as the time went by it just became the norm. 

Maki’s pondering was cut short by the door suddenly rattling and shaking. It was clear someone was attempting to open it without a key. She jumped, however her panic was only momentary, as a grumble of “Damnit.” she recognised as Nico’s soothed her. 

When Nico entered, that sense of relief faded away. Something was very clearly off. Her movements seemed somewhat stiff, she carried an odd air of seriousness and grimness about her. She looked at the floor, as if she wanted to say, but was incapable of saying it. Maki frowned slightly, curious as to what inspired such a change in the maid. 

“Here’s your tart, Maki-Chan.” Nico announced, her tone no different to usual as she placed the pastry in her lap. It was far too big for just her, she reckoned she could only eat a slice or two of it. Looking up, she noticed the way Nico hungrily eyed the tart. Smirking, she glanced between them, wordlessly asking Nico if she wanted some. “Yeah, I didn’t spend hours making it just to watch you eat it.” she said.

Maki cut the tart into slices, taking one and biting into it. She savoured the sweet flavour of it. “Hey, Nico-Chan. How old were you when you became my maid?” she queried, seeking a starting point for her investigation into Nico’s past.

“Twelve. You were ten then. Did you forget that Maki-Chan? That really hurts me, y’know.” she clutched her heart dramatically to visualise her false pain. 

Sniggering, Maki continued on her quest. “Why did you become a maid at such a young age? I don’t really get it. You just showed up one day and have been here ever since.”

It was evident a nerve had been struck, Nico stared at the bedsheets, fiddling with their silky decoration. Her passionate red eyes seemed to lose their spark. “That’s kind of a long story.” she dismissed, taking a small chomp out of her tart.

“Nico-Chan.” Maki complained. “Tell me!” 

Taking a deep breath, she looked Maki in the eye, she wanted to say no, it wasn’t that interesting of a story and Maki hardly needed to know. But Nico was weak, and couldn’t deny her what she wanted. “Well, back then my little brother Cotarou had just been born. And well…” she let out a long, heavy sigh, as if releasing some long pent up feelings along with it. “It was around when my father died.” 

Maki gasped aloud, she didn’t even know that Nico had siblings, let alone that her father had died. Her hand hovered uncertainly between them, she didn’t know whether she should reach out to comfort her or not. “I-I see…” was all she could muster.

“Don’t worry about it Maki-Chan, we’re all okay with it now. Me, Mum, Cocoa, Cotarou, Cocoro. We’ve all accepted it.” she spoke slowly, a great weight in every one of her words. “He was a bard, one of your father’s favourites.” she smiled fondly at the memory, recalling how her father would sing to her. “So, when he died, my mother approached him. Seeing if there was anything he could do for us.” she looked up at the ceiling, recalling it in detail. “He didn’t give my mother a job, but he gave me one. He figured she should focus on raising the kids.” 

Nico snickered devilishly, it was clear she had something planned. “He also wanted someone around his daughter’s age. You didn’t have many friends back then Maki-Chan.” she teased. “So your dad sent in the illustrious Nico to come and help you.” she postured.

“Sh-shut up Nico-Chan!” she grumbled. “Wh-why didn’t you tell me any of this sooner?” she snapped. 

“You didn’t ask.” Nico shrugged.

As she settled down from Nico’s small provocation, Maki had a revelation. She was the reason Nico wasn’t with her family right now. A sense of guilt washed over her. “Doesn’t it make you unhappy, not living with your family?” 

“Hmm, no. I visit them pretty often.” she smiled, thinking about her family. She was due another visit soon. “Besides, Maki-Chan’s here. So that’s pretty nice.” she commented casually, closing her eyes, she seemed satisfied.

“So that’s where you go on the days you disappear!” Maki’s eyes widened, reaching a conclusion she really should’ve figured out long ago. 

Nico burst into a giggling fit. “You really only just figured that out?” 

“Sh-shut up!” Maki barked. “A-anyway. How are your family now?” 

“They’re okay, my mother’s doing good with trading. She handles transactions and things for people in the town. They hardly even need the money I send home now.” she smiled proudly.

“Why don’t you just go home then?” Maki asked, wearing an irritated expression that failed to line up with her true feelings.

“I like it here with you, Maki-Chan.” she admitted wholeheartedly. There was no joking, no fake irritation or disguise of her true feelings, she just admitted it outright. A light pink blush formed on her face, contrasting the red that had subjugated Maki’s cheeks.

“I-I’m going to bed!” Maki proclaimed, hiding under her covers and resting her head on the pillow. She wasn’t particularly tired, but she had decided to use her earlier plan of pretending to sleep until Nico went away. 

After a few minutes, she felt bed spring up as Nico’s weight left it. Another few minutes, there was utter silence. Surely Nico was gone by now. One more minute. A pair of lips planted themselves atop her forehead.

It took every ounce of strength she had not to scream right there. It took every ounce of her strength not to get up and pounce on Nico right that second, to be angry at her for weirdly kissing her in her sleep, to be elated that she returned her feelings, to berate herself for feeling what she had so hypocritically told Eli not to feel. She was feeling a maelstrom of emotions, but she couldn’t, and didn’t, let a single one escape.

The door creaked, Nico left. Stepping out into the light of the hallway, she sat down. Fumbling through her pocket and thanking god she avoided telling Maki what she had heard from the panicked servant at the door. She took out the paper in her pocket, wanting to reread it, to make sure it wasn’t a dream or a hallucination.

It wasn’t. Before her, as real as she was, a piece of paper, an illustration of a woman on it. With bold, black text stating. “Princess Eli Ayase: Missing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter was such an ordeal for me. I had a lot of trouble getting into it, however it turned out okay in the end. I managed to get out of my colossal slump when it came to this chapter and wrote a lot that I really like. I had started writing this a while ago, but it kept feeling wrong, so I kept starting again or just not working on it. but today I sat down, got to writing and everything just clicked perfectly. I had so much fun writing this chapter. The part I wrote today comes after Maki says "I'm not sick!" so everything from then on is a lot better, it's probably noticeable.
> 
> I can't express how good I feel after writing this, I managed to conquer one of my biggest blocks as a writer so far, and I got a chapter I really enjoyed out of it! My heart was racing by the end of this, and I'm so happy with how this works in the story. I feel as though I'll cheapen it by excitedly ranting about how I placed this in the story and its effect and the reveal and the end and aaaa. It'll also sound a bit egotistical. So, I'll avoid that. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter and are excited for the next one, my apologies for the wait. Have a fantastic day!!


	7. Chapter 7

Gently, the sunlight began to creep in, lightly and politely reminding her that it was time to wake up. At first she resisted it, pushing her face into her pillow and refusing to awaken. But as more time passed the light only grew brighter and harder to avoid. And so, after much deliberation, she opened her eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them.

She glanced around, it all felt so familiar, yet so different all of a sudden. It was the same inn room she had gotten accustomed to, the same soft material she slept on, the same creaky window that took her a few days to get used to, the thin walls that didn’t keep out the sounds of the people downstairs, the inescapable cold air that seemed to always attack your feet whenever they weren’t safely tucked away under your sheets. It was almost homely, with its own little quirks and characteristics.

Even so, it had changed drastically over the last few days. Only due to one key addition. Eli, who lay in bed with her. She clung to her, her head nestled in her chest. She was utterly at peace, her blonde hair splayed out chaotically across her pillow. Nozomi smiled fondly, it was odd, how different it had all become with her around. It was a lot warmer, she got to sleep a lot quicker, thanks to the comfortable cuddling and the sound of her breathing. And most significantly, the aching sense of loneliness had disappeared completely.

However, as her loneliness left, Nozomi found herself being eaten away at by a new feeling. Guilt. In truth, she was more of a thief than a fortune teller. As she had stolen the princess away from her kingdom.

It really didn’t take long for her to figure it out. Eli was absolutely awful at hiding her secret. Yet Nozomi played along, it just felt better that way. Eli could just be a normal person, she could be herself without any expectations getting to her.

The more she thought, the more conflicted she became. It was a cycle that never ended, leading only to frustration each and every time. She felt so selfish. Eli had a duty, and here she was, keeping her from it. She had the crown princess lay in a tatty bed beside her. And for what? What justification was there for it? For causing the princess to go missing, creating uproar in the kingdom? 

Her own personal happiness. That was all. She found it hard to justify, all of that, just so she wouldn’t feel lonely. Just to let her be in love and happy. She didn’t really think it was worth it. And yet, she did nothing. She stayed with Eli, spending her days with her. She had let it continue for upwards of a week, not even dreaming of telling her she should leave.

She sat up, causing Eli to lose her grip on her. She gripped the bed sheets and pulled them up to her face. Nozomi cried, muffling herself with the sheets. After all, Eli was resting, she didn’t want to take that away from her too.

“Nozomi-Chan?” It was too late, she was already up. “What’s wrong?” she asked, placing a caring hand on her shoulder, each word was absolutely soaked in concern. 

“Nothin Elichi.” she said, her face switching to a false smile the instant she removed it from the sheets. “I’m okay.”

As convincing as her performance was, it could do nothing to conceal the redness of her eyes, a clear sign she had been crying. “Did you have a nightmare or something?” she asked

Nozomi shook her head.

“Did you think about what we talked about in the garden? Because you don’t have to worry about that anymore. I’m here with you, you can stay.” she told her, getting somewhat carried away in her own worry.

Once again, Nozomi shook her head. A few tears shaking loose from her eyes.

“Can you tell me what it is, please?” Eli pleaded.

With a sigh, she bit the bullet. Eventually she’d have to tell her, so why not have it be now? “I know who you are, Elichi.” she confessed, interlacing her fingers and focusing on them, not bringing herself to look at her.

“Oh…” was all she said. She wasn’t sad, nor upset, she just accepted it without much care. She moved behind Nozomi, kneeling behind her and wrapping her arms around her. She savoured it for a second before she spoke, simply appreciating how she felt. “I’m okay with that. I’m just sorry for not telling you earlier.” she nuzzled her face into her hair. It was comfortably soft.

“I don’t think so, Elichi.” she replied, appreciating the affection, it soothed her. “Haven’t you seen the missing posters? Everyone’s losing it.” 

Eli let out a deep sigh. It was something she herself had been wrestling with. Despite how it ate away at her constantly, she could still never found a conclusion. “I know, I know.” she acknowledged. “I really don’t know what to do, Nozomi-Chan. I know what I want, but I don’t know if it’s for the best.”

Nozomi made a small, sad noise, leaning back into Eli. “This is so hard…” she sighed, it was slowly tearing them both apart. “Can we just. Leave it and talk about it later?” she knew it’d be better to just talk about it, to get it over with and get out all their feelings. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Her selfish desire ruling her thoughts tyrannically. She just wanted Eli for a little longer, she couldn’t let go yet.

“Of course.” Eli responded, holding her tighter. “We should really get up though.” she said, moving off of Nozomi and standing up. She rested her hands on her hips and smiled down at her. Despite the fact she had just gotten out of bed, she looked mostly ready for the day.

“Do we have to?” Nozomi complained, flopping back onto it and resting her head on the pillow. “I don’t wanna.” she pushed her face into the pillow, enjoying the soft material. “Come on Elichi, sleep with me more.” she requested, holding her arms open wide, she wasn’t expecting Eli to actually lay down with her, but she wanted to at least give the gesture. 

With a giggle, Eli took Nozomi by the hands, lifting her up to her feet. “Nope. Besides, you have work.” she tapped her on the nose teasingly. “Can’t leave those people without their fortune telling.” she turned her back on Nozomi, starting to change out of her pajamas and into her usual outfit. Entirely unaware she had made a grave mistake.

You don’t turn your back on Nozomi.

With a dark chuckle, she struck. Moving behind Eli and gripping her chest. She grinned devilishly, groping her gleefully. “N-nozomi!” she gasped. Despite her exclamation, Nozomi pressed on, continuing to enjoy herself. “Nozomi…” Eli repeated, sternly and intimidatingly.

Nozomi let go and began changing too, putting on her fortune telling outfit. By the end of it, they were both wearing what they wore when they had first met. It was funny. Despite all that had happened, they looked like they were back at square one. 

As Eli prepared to open the door, Nozomi tugged on her arm. “Huh?” she turned around, tilting her head at Nozomi, who pouted at her. After a few seconds of processing, it hit her. “Oh!” she exclaimed. She giggled to herself, pulling down her bandana. Nozomi kissed her quickly before taking her hand. Together, they began their day.

It began rather uneventfully, Nozomi setting up in her tent and Eli standing in their with her. They just chatted, discussing nothing at all. They simply enjoyed their company, until it came time for Nozomi to go to work.

The girl that came in had become somewhat of a pet project for Nozomi. She came in a lot, always trying to gleam what the future had in store for her through the tarot readings. Each and every time, she’d explain to Nozomi how her life was going. Then Nozomi would do her fortune and provide her with advice. It was quite nice, they both enjoyed it. It seemed their sessions had been paying off, as she came in gleefully, excitedly ranting to Nozomi about how close she was getting to finally being with the object of her affections. 

“Hm, say. What if we do something a little different this time?” Nozomi suggested, a wide smile forming on her face. Both Eli and the girl seemed confused.

“O-oh. Sure Nozomi-San! You’re so good at these things, we can do whatever you want!” she beamed, eagrely awaiting for the reveal of Nozomi’s alternative method.

“Well, how about instead of predicting your future, we make it happen?” she suggested, her green eyes sparkling like emeralds under the sun. They stood out beautifully in the dark, mysterious atmosphere of the candle-lit tent, adding to it spectacularly. It was as if she were a part of the whole display too, another mystic artifact.

“How? W-with magic?” she asked, eyes widening at the prospect. “I-is there a cost? You’re not gonna take my soul are you?” 

“Of course not. This is free.” Nozomi said, soft and kind. Eli raised an eyebrow, curious as to what she was planning. Never before had Nozomi performed anything other than fortune telling, and she certainly wasn’t capable of magic,

Tension and mystery flooded the room, it was so prominent it was palpable, almost like there was a magical haze that had begun seeping in. “Here, take this.” Nozomi said, sliding a small object over to the girl. The tension only increased, Eli and the girl grew more confused. What could its significance be?

It was a little segment of pink glass, circular and shimmery. It reflected only the light, being perfectly clear otherwise. Gold lined all around it, the two colours being perfect companions for eachother. The firm, cold metal and the delicate, colourful glass, meeting together ideally.

“It's a love lens. It’s an enchanted object that, when you give it to someone, brings out the love they have for you.” she watched the girl carefully, curious about her reaction.

Her eyes widened and she took it quickly. “Th-this is amazing! It’s perfect, Nozomi-San! N-no, Nozomi-Sama! I-I know they love me, so if I give it to them, they’ll admit it! Thank you so much!” and with those ramblings, she sprinted out, inhumanely excited to try it out.

“That’s not a real thing. Is it?” Eli questioned once she left, not wanting to ruin the illusion for the girl.

“Hm. No, it’s not. But it sure made her confident, didn’t it?” she hummed, glad her plan worked as well as it did. “I’m sure they’ll be together thanks to that.”

“Heh, probably.” Eli smirked, Nozomi appreciated how extremely smart she could be when she wanted to. She planted a kiss atop her head. “How’d you get the gold for that love lens thing, by the way?” 

“Hm, well technically you got it, Elichi.” she said suggestively, her eyes wandering to the pouch of money Eli always kept with her.

“Nozomi!” Eli complained. “You could’ve just asked…”

Steel steps came loudly crashing toward the tent. The glimmering silver rudely mismatching the dark purple of the tent. The figure loomed before the entrance, taking a second before it finally opened them.   
The light poured in, ruining the aesthetic of the place entirely. It was so bright, Eli and Nozomi were forced to close their eyes to avoid the pain of it, only seeing a blurry figure stood in the entrance. A familiar voice came from the intrusive light, piercing their comfortable relationship just as the light did to the dark.

“Eli-Sama, you’re coming with me.” Umi said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Insert apologies adn etc for being late here]
> 
> I'm pretty happy with this chapter, honestly. It felt quite nice giving an insight into Nozomi and Eli's new daily lives, as well as the consequences of them running off together. I also quite liked some of my descriptions, as well as the cute affection between them, Another little thing I really enjoyed was the reference to Junai Lens, with the Love Lens and the girl Nozomi was helping. I found it quite cute. On a more negative note though, I feel like my pacing may have been kinda messed up, I feel like I rushed this a little bit. Oh well though, I feel like this part of the story is still being told rather well. I'm excited to keep moving forward! As always, I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and has a nice day! See you!


	8. Chapter 8

Umi had been searching for two weeks and by now she was growing tired. The royal family had kept her going on goose chase after goose chase. With false leads on the Princess’ location, which always turned out to be bandit ambushes or just mistakes.Then there were the places that the King and Queen expected, friends and relatives’ houses, their various estates and various other locations under Ayase ownership. But of course, none of them ever housed the princess.

It frustrated Umi to no end, she knew where Eli would be, and yet each and every time she was dragged away to some new location that was decided upon for her. She tried several times to tell them where she really was, but she didn’t even get the chance to speak before she was dismissed.

In all fairness, she understood why they were so frantic and why they continually dismissed her in favour of their own suspicions. Panic and fear were incredibly strong forces, and they dominated everyone’s minds as of present. It was reasonable. But it being reasonable didn’t make it any less annoying.

Once again, she returned to the castle, having completed yet another meaningless mission. However when she arrived, it carried a far different atmosphere. There was a dark, despondent calm about the hallways as she passed through them, a far cry from the panic and tension she had grown accustomed to over the last two weeks. 

The hallways weren’t barren, there was still plenty of activity, maids and servants rushing about, fulfilling their various duties. It was far slower than it was previously, however. There seemed to be little urgency in their steps. 

Finally she reached the throne room, where she always met the King and Queen. Her heart beat faster, they never stopped being intimidating. They weren’t very threatening, they were rather benevolent in fact. But the sheer status and power they emanated made bowing almost an instinct to anyone that they met. “Your majesties.” she addressed them, awaiting whatever new set of orders that was coming next.

But nothing came, as disrespectful as it felt Umi glanced up at them. From just their appearance it was clear they felt nothing but sadness and hopelessness. They were out of ideas. “Umi, if you have any idea where our daughter is. Go look for her.” the queen said, her voice still carrying an immense level of status despite the weakness in it.

“O-okay.” Umi muttered, she could hardly believe it, seeing them in such a state. She left without another word, struggling to accept the surreal state they were in.  
“Were Mum and Dad crying?” a little voice asked from beside her. She turned quickly, shocked by the sudden sound. It was only Alisa.

“No.” Umi responded, somewhat mystified by the fact that the king and queen could cry at all. They had always appeared so stalwart to her, even in their moments of despair that she had just witnessed. She hadn’t seen Alisa in a while, so she decided to postpone her mission to talk to her for a bit. Eli had been missing for two weeks, she could stay missing for a while longer. “So, how have you been?”

“I’ve been okay.” she said, she didn’t sound particularly upset, despite the fact her sister had gone missing. “I know she’s alright, so I’m not worried.” she admitted sheepishly. Umi’s eyes widened, her eyebrows raising only to come crashing down again to form an expression of annoyance.

“She told Alisa-Sama?” she thought, her inner voice taking on an irritated tone. She hoped her story wasn’t giving Alisa any ideas. “With the fortune teller girl, right?” Umi asked, figuring they were both thinking of the same thing.

Alisa nodded. “I do miss her though. I get she wants to marry her and all, but she didn’t have to run away from home.” she complained, hints of the previously missing upsetness forming in her tone. 

“M-marriage?” Umi gasped. “T-to that commoner scam artist?” she let out a deep, tense sigh. “Sh-shameless…” 

The princess snickered, she had always been amused by Umi’s uptightness. “She had a ring, so that’s my guess.” she commented. “Are you going to bring her back?” 

Umi nodded with resolve. Even if Eli was in love, it was her duty to bring her back, whether she wanted it or not. “Good luck.” Alisa said. There was long pause, Umi had already turned by the time she piped up again “Don’t let her heart be broken.” she said. Once again, Umi nodded at her, taking her words to heart.

And so, she made her way toward the town from the castle, each step driving her further and further into self reflection. There was of course the question of whether or not she was doing the right thing. “Is it right to split up Eli-Sama with that girl?” she questioned. On the one hand, she was clearly happy and in love with her, after all, she’d been living with her for two weeks and had been going out constantly to visit her beforehand. On the other, the girl was a commoner, and worse, a fortune teller. In Umi’s opinion, all they were were scam artists. Who lied and cheated their way through life with silly little falsehoods based on their cryptic cards. “Who’s to say she isn’t lying to Eli-Sama?” she asked herself. While Eli was smart, she wouldn’t put it past her to be fooled, especially by someone so pretty.

That was only the beginning of the problems too, there was of course the issue of how her relationship with Eli could be damaged. Umi cared about her, she wouldn’t have been her bodyguard for years if she didn’t. If she were to be daring, she might even call the two of them friends. She’d felt Eli may understand, knowing that it was her job and she had no real choice in the matter. But she couldn’t be certain that Eli wouldn’t shun her for ruining her relationship. 

Her thoughts continued to wander, back to Alisa’s words. “Don’t let her heart be broken.” it’s message was clear. Don’t let Eli’s heart be broken by being in love with a commoner. Alisa sounded somewhat unconfident while saying it, so maybe her words didn’t come out quite right, she was relatively new to the language after all. Despite that, she had a good point. Regardless of whether or not she was a bad person, Eli loving her could only lead to disaster. She could be prevented from ever seeing her again, the fortune teller may be exiled from the kingdom, or jailed. Any event like that could break Eli’s heart, so it may be best to just finish it now, before she could get even more invested. 

The decision was tearing her apart. She was already in town by now, but she couldn’t reach a conclusion. There were so many different factors, it overwhelmed even her. But perhaps she was thinking too hard. She needed a second opinion to help her.

She quickly and politely knocked on the door to Kotori’s shop. It was closed, but she knew she would be there, preparing things for the days to come. She was extremely diligent. After a few moments, she came to the door. “Come in Umi-Chan.” she said, smiling warmly. Her soft voice was already calming her down. “Do you want some tea? Some food?” she asked, taking her into the rudimentary kitchen in the back. It was just a simple oven and a cupboard, where she kept whatever she had recently bought from the market and her cooking equipment. 

“No, I don’t think I’ll be staying long.” she said, her voice conveying how tired she was from the constant internal battles she was fighting.

“Oh, okay.” Kotori replied, moving closer to Umi to examine her face. “What’s wrong? Is it about the princess?”

“H-how did you know?” Umi looked up at her with wide eyes, amazed by her ability to seemingly read minds. 

“Well, everyone’s been stressed about it. And you’re her bodyguard, so I figure you’re worried about it too.” she answered, giggling slightly at how shocked Umi was at her figuring out something so obvious. 

“I am.” Umi confessed, looking away, her blue hair giving a dramatic swish as she did. “I need to bring her home, but I’m not sure if it's the right thing to do. She seems happy as she is now.” she put it simply and vaguely, not wanting to burden Kotori with heaps of details, with longs ramblings about her internal conflicts and her paranoid worries. 

Kotori humed, giving it some thought. Before she took one of Umi’s hands in both of hers, it was clear she was about to say something significant. “Sometimes, love just isn’t meant to happen, Umi-Chan.” she said simply, with an surreal sense of calm. She had neither her chipper tone nor the sadness the words she spoke would indicate. There was just nothing. Like she had blocked out all emotion before speaking. 

While she questioned how Kotori knew about Eli and the fortune teller’s relationship, she brushed it aside for now. Something felt off about how she had spoken, there was some meaning behind the intimacy of her hand-holding. But Umi didn’t understand what. “Th-thank you.” Umi said, despite how cruel it felt. She was right. It was just something that couldn’t work, as sad as it was. She’d have to break it to Eli, one way or another.

As the mood darkened, Umi left. Despite how icy the shop felt, Kotori was still smiling as she waved her goodbye.

And so, Umi solemnly made her way through the streets of the town, her glistening silver armour being an ironic appearance for the reaper she had become. She took each step toward the tent slowly and deliberately, preparing herself before throwing the curtain open.

“Eli-Sama, you’re coming with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel so good about this chapter! I always love finishing chapters for this fic, it's one of my favourites to write! It was cool getting to spend some time with a more minor character, looking into their mind and their experiences. It was fun! I also liked giving Umi's side of the story and explaining her motive for storming into Nozoeli's tent the way she did. My only issue it's a bit short, but I feel like the quality makes up for the quality! I also really loved exploring Kotori and Umi's relationship, as well as Umi's sense of duty and feelings toward Eli. There's just a whole lot to this chapter I really enjoyed! And so, I hope everyone else enjoys this too!


	9. Chapter 9

“U-umi-San? What’re you doing here?” Eli gasped, her eyes adjusting to the light and revealing the woman before her. Without even realising she had placed an arm out in front of Nozomi, protecting her from the danger that wasn’t actually there. 

“I already said, I’m here to bring you home.” Umi said sternly, taking a step into the tent, the overwhelming light from the open curtain disappearing, the glisten being lost from her silver armour. 

Despite the fact that Eli was taller than her, Umi seemed to loom over the two of them as she approached, her bulky armour giving her a larger than life presence. “I don’t want to go.” Eli snapped. “Leave me be.” she had put on her best authoritative voice, the kind that she always did when she was giving orders. Usually, Umi was like an obedient dog, following orders quickly and waiting expectantly once they were complete. But now she continued, stepping closer and closer.

“Umi-San, I’m serious. I’m ordering you to leave.” she emphasised the word ordering harshly, standing taller than normal in an attempt to play on their inequality in status. But it was useless, her approach didn’t yield. Whoever’s orders she was following clearly outclassed hers greatly.

“I’m happy here, Umi-San. I’m not leaving. Regardless of what you do.” Eli told her sternly, stone faced despite how close she was getting to her.

Finally, Umi had reached her, standing face to face with her. “Eli-Sama, please. Do you even realise what you’re doing?” she pleaded, the anger that had been so heavily anticipated by everyone was instead replaced with Umi being utterly distraught.

“Yes.” she declared, her hand subtly stroking Nozomi’s, indicating for her to take it. It was more for Eli’s sake than hers. Nozomi could feel her hand shaking, and while she was scared too, hers was completely still. She squeezed her hand tightly, hoping to quell the shivering of her hand.  
Nozomi succeeded, Eli’s confidence rose. She kept her eyes intensely on Umi, who frowned but quickly shifted her expression, it was almost like an evolution, she did it to survive, there was no hope of winning if she was sad, she would have to get just as intense as Eli. “Don’t you realise what you’re doing to the kingdom? To everyone? To Alisa-Sama!” she growled. Umi was a woman of duty, her whole life was dedicated to the royal family, her entire existence was devoted to them, so to her, Eli’s actions were ridiculous and selfish. Love was nothing compared to the stability of the monarchy and the kingdom, she could realise and accept that, how come Eli couldn’t? 

Eli gritted her teeth, Nozomi squeezed her hand tighter. “Y-yes. I know.” she muttered. “They’re strong, they can handle it. I’m sure Alisa will find a nice wife someday and she’ll make a great queen.” she hated the thought of never seeing Alisa again, but as far as she was concerned, this was the path she had chosen, there was no going back. She had a choice between freedom and family, and she chose freedom.

“They can’t handle it! Haven’t you seen the search parties going around? The entire kingdom is desperate to have you back, Eli-Sama! Umi snapped, her knuckles white from how intensely she had been holding her hand in a fist. 

“They’ll get over me.” Eli mumbled. “My parents, the kingdom, everyone. Something more important will come along and then it won’t be a problem. Just wait.” she was convincing herself more than anyone. Out of everyone in the room, she knew the consequences of her actions the most. She didn’t believe what she was saying, but perhaps if she said it convincingly enough, even she would believe it.

Umi groaned in anger. Never before had she dreamed of hitting a superior, but she certainly wanted to now. Perhaps the worst part was that, she believed she understood Eli. Her lifestyle was somewhat similair after all. Dedication to the crown, a lack of personal freedom. She supposed she had it better though. For Eli, a lot of her restrictions were put in place by a system that had been established for centuries. Whereas for Umi, they were all self imposed, but she had dedicated herself to them for so long that they might as well be laws of the universe for her.

Umi could tell that she genuinely loved Nozomi, she knew the feeling. And while she couldn’t empathise with it, she also understood the idea of wanting more, of wanting your life to be more your own. “Eli-Sama. Why can’t you just give up? Why do you keep fighting? This won’t work! Even if you hide out here, someone will eventually find you! Someone who isn’t as nice as me, someone who’ll tell the King and Queen where you are, and who knows what’ll happen then? Nozomi-San there could be accused of kidnapping.” 

“Is that a threat?” Eli asked coldly. “Are you planning on telling them where I am?”

“I don’t know. It’s a question of loyalty. You or them. That’s an impossible question for a servant of the crown.” Umi spoke quickly and intensely, sounding far more resolved and certain that she actually was. In reality, the subject shook her. She had never considered where her unyielding loyalties truly fell. Toward the mere concept of the crown? Toward the king and queen? To Eli? To Alisa? Her mind scrambled about gracelessly, attempting to find an answer, but the search was ultimately fruitless.

“What about as a person?” Nozomi suddenly spoke, calm and wise, using a similair tone to when she did a reading. “You seem to consider yourself a servant of the crown, but why don’t you try looking at it from a more personal perspective? If you weren’t a servant to the crown, who would you side with?” she smiled softly at Umi, an overwhelming calm suddenly swept over the tent and its inhabitants. The tension building between Eli and Umi faded as Nozomi joined the conversation. 

“E-eli-Sama, I suppose.” Umi managed, initially struggling with the new perspective. It was an odd exercise, separating her job, which defined her entire identity, from herself as a person. But she managed it, and Eli was the conclusion she reached.

Nozomi nodded, slowly and certainly. “So surely you should go with Elichi, right?” her voice was smooth and therapeutic, giving off the impression she had thought for a long while about what she was going to say (She absolutely hadn't, it just appeared that way.) 

Umi grumbled uncertainly. “Yes but it's not just about Eli-Sama. There’s a lot more to it.” Umi argued. She spoke slightly distantly, distracted by the war she was waging internally. Struggling with herself to figure out her plan of action. While she appreciated the way Nozomi changed her perspective, it created more problems than it solved. 

“Like what?” Nozomi asked, sitting down in her usual seat, beginning to shuffle her cards quickly and loosely.

“The entire kingdom. Alisa-Sama, the king and the queen. Although my loyalties lie with Eli-Sama, the needs of the many outweigh the wants of the few.” intentional or not, she emphasised the word “wants” in a derogatory way, earning a gutteral noise of annoyance from Eli. 

“I see, I see. And what do you think will happen if Elichi doesn’t come back?” Nozomi placed four cards face down as she watched Umi’s face. It was her usual spread. 

All the colour fell away from Umi’s face, leaving it a pale echo of what it usually was. Thinking on the topic terrified her. Despite how Nozomi had affected her, resolve returned gradually with each shocking thing she envisioned in her mind's eye. “Eli-Sama would be pronounced dead.” she said shakily. “Alisa-Sama would become heir to the throne too early, there would be a great deal of pressure on the poor girl. The kingdom and royal family would spend forever mourning their lost princess, morale would drop drastically. You’re a symbol of hope, Eli-Sama. I wouldn’t be surprised if some soldiers hung up their weapons over the less of you. And then there’s the more outlandish possibilities. Belief in the leadership of this kingdom would fall, due to their inability to find her. Conspiracies may arise, claiming Eli-Sama was killed intentionally! Or-”

Nozomi cut her off, suddenly, slicing through her words with her own. “Do you know what I do when I’m worried about the future? I read my fortune. Would you like me to do that for you?” she requested politely and kindly, and as foolish as she found concepts of magic and fortune telling, Umi found herself drawn in by this woman and her bewitching presence. So she nodded, staring at the face down cards curiously.

Nozomi explained how her fortune telling worked and flipped the first card.

A tower standing nobly amongst the end, flames, lightning and every other destructive force in nature’s arsenal assaulting it, was depicted in the card. Nozomi shuddered, staring at it in disbelief. “Th-the Tower.” she mumbled. “Upright…”

“Wh-what does that mean? You sound worried…” Eli chimed, placing a hand on Nozomi’s shoulder and staring down at it. Meanwhile, Umi simply tilted her head and looked at it with confusion. What could be so bad about one little card?

“It represents disaster, upheaval and sudden change.” she muttered. “It’s not a very good sign to say the least.” she flipped the next card. Hoping for a sign of hope. Although it wasn’t possible, there was no card that meant “Ignore the one before this”. 

The next card was The Sun, reversed. “It means a lack of success. Failure.” she explained. Nozomi frowned, things weren’t looking great for Umi. Despite the grim fortune, Umi just watched the cards, showing few signs of a reaction. However it was clear from the little she did show that she was far less than pleased.

The following card was in reverse too, it was The Chariot. Nozomi squinted, spending a few minutes interpreting just what the cards were telling her. “Chariot reversed… Lack of control… That combined with the sun…” she mumbled as her train of thought rolled along. “So far, this essentially means that. Because of your failure.” she tapped The Sun. “To let go of control.” she tapped The Chariot. “A disaster will befall you.” she hesitantly tapped The Tower.

Despite her steely exterior, Umi was now visibly tense. Although she lacked a belief in the mystical, she was worried by how the cards were spelling out the worst possible scenario for her. A few beads of sweat slowly trickled down her forehead, like the first icy drops of a coming storm. “And the last card.” she asked, eyes deathly focused on the final, unturned card.

Nozomi turned it over. “The Hermit.” she breathed out. A sigh of half-relief and half-defeat. There were several ways she could interpret it. A positive way and a negative way. And even then the positive way wasn’t fantastic. The positive way was to tell Umi that she, as a result of this would become more self-reflective, or enter a state of introspection for a while. Which, although not the most appealing, did have connotations of bettering oneself.

However, the Hermit had another meaning. Being alone. And while this could be a good thing, she doubted it would be a good thing to tell Umi that she’d fail, cause a disaster, and end up alone for it. So Nozomi concluded that she would spin it as positively as she could, hoping that Umi would take it well.

“It means introspection and self-reflection.” she explained. “So, in context. As a result of… All the other stuff, you’ll go on a sort of, self-reflective journey.” she smiled warmly, attempting to reassure Umi.

Umi wasn’t reassured at all. She looked away and mumbled. “Right.” She reminded herself that she didn’t believe in fortune telling. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that what Nozomi had predicted was scarily realistic. 

Eli too, was affected by Nozomi’s prediction. The hand that was holding onto her shoulder now gripping it tensely. Nozomi stroked it gently, Eli’s grip loosened. “Nozomi-Chan, can you read mine too…” Truth be told, despite her insistence and seeming certainty. Eli was just as uncertain as everyone else about the future. She hoped for some guidance. 

“Okay.” Nozomi nodded, silently praying that Eli’s fortune would be better than Umi’s. She reshuffled the cards, placing down the four that would decide Eli’s fate. She took a deep breath, turning over the first card. 

The Tower. Once again. It seemed Eli’s fate was intertwined with Umi’s, both of them doomed to the same event. Umi gasped quietly, barely hearable. Nozomi blinked a few times, trying to affirm whether it was real or not. It was. Eli’s grip loosened in disbelief. “Turn the next one…” she uttered, praying that the next card could somehow salvage the first. 

Nozomi picked up the card hesitantly and turned it. “The Wheel of Fortune in reverse. It’s to do with like, bad luck, negative external forces, not within your control.” she explained. “At least it’s better than Umi-San’s…” she thought, “it won’t be Elichi’s fault…” 

Eli froze, not as reassured as her partner. The mere presence of The Tower darkened each and every other card, infecting them with a sense of pure dread. “And the next one…?” Umi asked, breaking the silence and showing a surprising level of interest.

Nozomi turned the card, it would determine what the external force that caused the disaster would be. Truth be told, she was awaiting a card to represent Umi, and she could tell the other two were too. But the card represented a very different person. 

Nozomi herself, represented once more by The Empress. She would cause whatever disaster that lay in wait for Eli. She fell silent, not even expressing her shock. The final card lay there. The result of whatever disaster she caused. What she would do to Eli. There was no chance for it to be good. It was doomed to be another piece of the disastrous puzzle. With shaky hands, Eli reached for it, only for Nozomi to break out of shock’s icy clutches and bat it away. “Elichi. Go with Umi-San.” she ordered, placing the face down card back into the pile.

“Wh-what?” Eli exclaimed. “Wh-what’re you saying?” she spoke like she was wounded, voice shaky and uncertain.   
With a falsified calmness, Nozomi nodded, re-organising her cards. “Yes. It’s for the best, I think. Umi-San is right. The kingdom is in chaos… It’s selfish of me to keep you here.” she stood and smiled painfully at Eli, eyes misty. 

“You aren’t keeping me! I want to be here!” Eli whimpered. “Nozomi-Chan, it’ll be okay.” she stroked her face, Nozomi held her hand in place, needing the contact. They shared a silent moment, watching eachother. “...I can’t leave you. I love you.”

“You don’t have to leave me.” Nozomi said. “We’ll just go back to how we used to be. You can sneak out and visit. Umi-San, you’ll help us, won’t you? You’re her personal guard. You can organise time for her to get away? Nights where she can stay over?” 

Umi nodded. “Y-yes, I think I could do that.” she said, having figured out her true loyalties.

“Thank you” Nozomi smiled. “You should probably go right now, the sooner this is solved the better.” Nozomi snaked her arms around Eli, hugging her tightly.

“I…” Eli frowned, stroking her lover’s hair. “Alright. If that’s what you want.” she agreed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?” 

“Wait. I have something for you.” Nozomi recalled suddenly. A long missed positivity returning to her voice. She reached into a pocket and presented Eli with a ring, a sky blue gem adorning it. Eli blushed, covering her face and gazing at it in awe.

Wordlessly, Eli took out her ring, similar one decorated with an emerald. She removed the hands from her face, allowing Nozomi to see her embarrassed smile. They exchanged rings, an unofficial engagement between them. “Wow, engaged to a princess… And they said I’d never amount to nothin’!” Nozomi joked, looking over the ring with pride. 

Eli smiled softly, kissing her goodbye. She turned around, prepared to leave with Umi. Only to find she had already gone. As she stepped outside, she found her. Sat on the ground, face in her hands, bright red. She had forgotten how Umi reacted to such shameless things. Eli snickered, a feeling of ironic optimism lighting her up. Although the darkness The Tower predicted loomed over her. It wasn’t something she considered at all, she was simply too happy about the situation she was in as of present. “So uh, what are we gonna tell Mum and Dad?” Eli asked once Umi had gotten to her feet. Umi’s only response was a long, weary sigh.

“We’ll figure something out. It can’t be the truth though, it’s so shameless. Unbefitting of a princess.” she complained. 

Eli giggled. In a lot of ways she missed the royal side of her life. She would be glad to have it back, to have it conjunction with her life with Nozomi. While the final question of freedom versus her status was far from answered. For right now, she was satisfied with somewhere in between. 

Nozomi watched them as they walked off into the now grey day, the overcast sky above them an omen of the future that Nozomi knew was to come. She frowned, thinking about all she had said to Eli. While she had meant it, she had neglected the biggest reason she had sent Eli away from her. The Empress card. Her. Somehow, she was going to be disastrous for Eli. She had no idea how, but she figured the less time she spent with her, the less risk there was. 

With a heavy sigh, she returned to her table, to her cards. Four lay face down. Four cards that would define her future. For good or for bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a hard chapter for me! Since it's such a hugely important one! This chapter is the end of the first arc of this story after all! NozoEli are together, the ring plotline has been resolved, and Nozomi's initial prediction for Eli has come true! And now we move onto the spooky stuff with The Tower and Eli returning to the castle. There's gonna be some exciting stuff in the coming chapters! I hope you've all enjoyed the story up to this big milestone! And I once again hope you enjoy everything that's coming next! I'm so proud of myself so far honestly. I feel like Royal Flush is my best fic and has been consistently high quality! As for this chapter, I'm really happy with it too! Lots of cool stuff going on in the chapter and it was 3000 words too! I feel great! I hope everyone liked this chapter and has a great day! I'll see you next time!


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